


Season 11 After Dark

by CultureisDarkBeer



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Season/Series 11, The X-Files Revival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-02-28 13:13:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 34,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13272159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CultureisDarkBeer/pseuds/CultureisDarkBeer
Summary: Mulder and Scully break the fourth wall and from an alternate universe review Season 11 of the revival.Nothing in here should be taken seriously.





	1. Episode 11.01

It had been hours since Scully’s brain had quieted and William had ceased their conversation. The images he imprinted in Scully’s mind remained, it would take her the following weeks to process. As jarring as the whole experience, it was comforting to feel him, to know with certainty that he was indeed alive. To feel the love between them that she had been denied for so many years. Scully tugged at the medical bracelet irritating her wrist. Opening the Mustang's glove compartment she rummaged through it for a knife or scissor. Mulder reached over and slammed its door closed. “We’ll be at the house soon Scully, I’ve got scissors in the desk drawer.”

“Mulder, what..” The glove box fell open again and a small white box tumbled into Scully’s lap along with maps and other papers. Mulder reached over and with one arm hurriedly shoved everything back into the compartment, but not before Scully picked up the box. “What’s this Mulder?” He grabbed it from her hands. “It’s for after we find William. I want us to be a family Scully.”

Quickly, he tossed it into the center console. They shared a quick glance, but it was enough.

Once inside, Scully settled on the couch. Headlights shone on the dirt road and as Mulder peered through the blinds he recognized the car.

“It’s Skinner. What the hell does he want.” Mulder muttered and swung opened the wooden door. “If you’re looking to apologize, it’s too late.” he spat out while Skinner opened the car and walked up the porch steps. “Mulder, I didn’t want to talk to you in front of all those witnesses at the hospital, but you didn't trust me. Now can I please come in?”

Mulder looked over at Scully and she nodded her head. With a scowl Mulder allowed him to enter. “You’ve got all of three minutes Skinner to explain yourself.”

Skinner paced in front of the couch as Mulder sat on the arm with his crossed. “The smoking man made an appearance in my car tonight. Said he wanted me to help him locate your son. Wanted me to trade William for the antidote of the upcoming apocalypse.”

Mulder and Scully exchanged glances. Scully spoke first. “I hope you said you’d do it.”

“Of course I did. So what’s the plan?” Skinner smirked.

Mulder stood and started to pace. “Is Monica still a double agent?”

“Yes, we’ll have to pull her out of there first.”

“Okay…” Mulder nodded. "And we'll have to keep up appearances that we still don't trust each other.."

“There’s one more thing” Skinner said sheepishly. “You might need to sit down for this.”

“Skinner what is it?” Scully piped in, a concerned look crossing her face running her hand down Mulder’s leg as he slid down besides her and tightened his hand around hers.  

Skinner lowered his voice. “The smoking man told me that he’s William’s father. That one weekend you spent the night with him in his cabin..”

Mulder and Scully exchanged a communicative look. Scully covered her face with her hands to attempt to hide the tears streaming down. Mulder put his arm around her pulling her into his chest. “We know Skinner” Mulder managed to get out. He kissed her forehead and Scully gathered herself pulling her hair behind her ear. She looked into Mulder’s eyes and found her courage. “It’s okay Mulder.”

“William is mine Skinner. Scully tested his DNA as soon as he was born. She’s a scientist and a doctor and if Scully knows anything it’s how to test DNA. Whatever that cigarette smoking son of a bitch of a father did… it didn’t prevent me from being the father. He may have in fact helped it along.”

Skinner nodded, but it was easy to see he didn’t quite understand. “So what do we do now? How do we move forward?”

“Scully and I will go on working, staying apart as not to rouse suspicion. We’ll give Monica the signal to return, use his renewed trust in you to set CGB up and take William so that we may all finally lead a life together.” Mulder looked at Scully, her blue diamonds sparkling into his. He passed her a reassuring smile before returning to Skinner. “Oh and Skinner, we’re going to need some shovels.”

Skinners eyebrows furrowed. “Why?”

“We kind of infected Maggie with the remnants of the alien virus I had those years ago. She should be back from the dead any day now….”


	2. Flashback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is from Chapter 33 of my story "Rooted In Friendship". I wrote it a long time ago. I reread it today and it just made me sick. I actually started to cry. I know it's a lie between two truths, but somehow that doesn't make it feel any better. I recognized and hinted at CSMs involvement as a possibility in my later chapters, but I never thought we would go there. And now we have.  
> In episode 1101 Mulder made the reference "come full circle to find the truth" from Season 3 Ep. 11 Revelations. All mythology episodes have three things at play - Men, Aliens, and God. We haven't heard from God yet. Only the devil.   
> The following takes place during the episode "En Ami"  
> At this point in the story M&S were already sleeping together.

Betrayer. Liar. Words dressed as daggers piercing their bond. A vice squeezed tightly around her heart as she retreated back to her place alone.

4 hours earlier

The time on the VCR clock glowed in a blue haze but stood firm. The walls seemed to bow inward as if holding its breath for her arrival as the fan blades performed another pointless rotation pushing nonexistent air. The room was filled with the smell of stale food and foreboding. Mulder was frantic to see her. Her voice on the other end of the phone was not enough to prove she had survived unscathed. The basketball in his hands already told the story scarred by his fingerprints as he waited. Another minute ticked by only to taunt him with her absence. His head was swimming from worry and lack of sleep. He felt her presence before he heard the knock on the door, breath escaping him at the sight of her. Taken aback by her beauty, his first instinct was to whisk her away to a castle keeping her far from harm. The next thought was she would probably harm him for that thought. Too independent sometimes for her own good. And his. He threw his arms around her as if they were life preservers. “Scully, where have you been? What happened?” She squeezed him tight in response and he was lost in her. His strong athletic arms yearning to carry the weight of her fears. There were moments within the past days when he wasn’t sure he would get the privilege of being able to hold her again. They had to talk this out, simple physical contact would not suffice this time and their ability to communicate with words had always been a struggle. He heard the rumble of the beginnings of a thunderstorm as he invited her in. They retreated to the couch.

As she told her tale Mulder’s stomach churned. He was silent until she finished. She pleaded to his better judgment. “This could save mankind.” “It’s the answer to everything.” “You would have done the same.” “I did what I thought was best.” “I tried to keep you with me the whole time.” “I mailed you tapes of all the conversations.” For Mulder, her statements were altruistic, matching the Scully he knew – kind, pure, innocent, full of love for mankind. In contrast, his heart darkened with each response, for underneath it all, the stench of evil remained.

He had one thought echoing in his mind while he stared outward, squinting, time blurring on the VCR. A lump formed in his throat as he squeaked out the question, “What did he do to you?”

Scully’s expression was one of confusion, “Mulder, what do you mean? He didn’t hurt me if that’s what you’re asking.”

Mulder’s hands shook, he ran them down his thighs so she didn’t see, the coarse texture of his jeans heating his fingertips. He continued the inquisition failing to keep his anger at bay, “Did he lay his hands on you?”

“Mulder no.” As she spoke he could almost see the butterflies hatching inside her stomach.

Pain grew in his chest as he made his accusation knowing he couldn’t take it back as it left his lips, “Are you sure? Or are you going to tell me another lie?”

The hurt expression on her face was tearing at his soul. She was visibly nervous, her eyes averted his. “There was a moment. I fell asleep in the car and when I woke up I was in pajamas in a bed. He claimed he was the one who put me there and I had only fallen asleep from exhaustion.”

It was something from a nightmare. Mulder felt the bile rise up in his throat as he said the words, “He touched you.”

Her face was contorting as if the butterflies’ wings were flapping trying to break free of her stomach, “I guess. To change my clothes.” The conversation was playing out an excruciatingly painful movie in slow motion in his head. Mulder couldn’t believe this was happening. As if their relationship was tangible and crumbling through his fingers. He rose from the couch, looking down at her. How did she let him in so easily? Anger consumed him as the volume of his voice began to rise, “He saw you. Saw you in a way that belongs to me. He removed your clothing. Dressed you. How do you know he didn’t do anything else to you?”

“If he did Mulder, I would know that” Scully looked terrified. He didn’t know how they got to this place and got there so quickly. Mulder took a deep breath and tried to steady himself pressing his palms together he brought his fingertips to his lips as if in deep thought. He forced himself to calm down not wanting to hurt or scare her, “Did he drug you?”

“I found no evidence of anything in my system. Mulder, I’m fine, no harm was done to me. Maybe it was bad judgment or maybe I saved mankind. I didn’t do anything that you wouldn’t have done in the same situation. I weighed everything and realized the risks were worth it.”

Uncontrollable anger rose up inside him, his fists clenched, his face was beat red as he shouted at her, “HE TOUCHED YOU!” He turned away from her staring at the palms of his hands. He was losing control and he no longer cared about sparing her feelings. In a lower voice he continued saying words he had previously only thought in his head, “He touched you. You are mine Scully. No one else gets to look at you the way I do. No one else gets to touch you. Not like that.” He shocked himself with how brazen he was with his words and it was obvious Scully was completely taken aback by his possessiveness. He had shown signs of it in the past especially concerning work, but never to this degree and he knew she wasn’t about to let him get away with it. She started in a condescending tone, “Now Mulder…”

“No, don’t Mulder me. Not this time. He took you from me. Again. He just takes you and returns you whenever he wants.”   He knew he was out of line, she was not a possession and he was talking about her like she was a bag of sunflower seeds. At the same time he believed in the far reaches of her mind, she secretly wanted him to claim her. Scully had a look of shock come across her face as she stood from the couch to face him.

Mulder was pacing, his voice rising again, “You could have died.” He couldn’t get it out of his head, he felt himself spiraling, dizzy, that helpless feeling creeping up inside, “He touched you. He looked at you.” The lid was off and his insecurities spilled across the coffee table the acidic tone marring the wood. “I could have lost you.. I couldn’t find you. You left me…” Visions of CGB brushing her hair out of her eyes, stroking her face, taking in her beauty then ending her life.

He fell to his knees at her feet, uncontrollable anger blurring his vision. His arms slid around her waist as he rested his head on her lower abdomen. He begged for an answer, “How could you let him do this?”

A comforting hand came across the top of his head. The touch was gentle, loving, soothing, healing and infuriating. Mulder jumped up onto his feet shaking his head backpedaling, “No. You don’t get to do that. Not right now. You betrayed me!” He turned away and turned back his arms flailing, “You tuned me out. I couldn’t feel you. Couldn’t reach you.”

He couldn’t look at her anymore. Couldn’t be in the same room. He walked into the kitchen to escape, but dirty dishes mocked him with remnants of food they had once shared. Out of the corner of his eye he watched her flinch as each one crashed against the porcelain sink.

She followed into the kitchen with her voice raised, “How is it that you get to take the chances Mulder? You run hell bent into the night without a thought, but I don’t get the same privilege? How many times have you confronted the smoking man, but I do it and its blasphemy?”

Mulder pounded his fists on the kitchen countertop pointing at her as he yelled. “Risking my life and risking yours are two totally different things”

Scully’s face flushed, her neck as scarlet as her hair. “How is that Mulder?”

He stared into the sink remaining silent, imagining the sharp edges of the broken ceramic cutting into the throat of old CGB his blood spilling onto the counter like tomato soup.

Scully was not giving up, “Answer me? How is that? Because I’m a woman?”

Mulder shook his head. His precious Scully did not know her value to this world. He answered her in a normal tone, “No, that’s not it. You know me better than that.”

“Then why? You’ve got one hell of a double standard.” Scully stared him down as the prize fighter waiting to hear the bell to enter the ring.

How could she be so naïve? His fists clenched again, he was a time bomb about to explode. He turned to her and shouted, “Because I love you more than I love myself. You are worth more to me than anything. Don’t you understand? I would give my life for you. He knows that and that’s why he takes you. He knows it will hurt me more than anything he could ever possibly do to me.   Because I love you that much, he has all the control. And the only reason I’m able to stand here with you right now is because he loves you too.” He took a breath to calm himself, “Scully, I know you had good intentions. I know how convincing he can be. I know all about believing his lies. We will get past this.... For now, let’s see what’s on the disc.”

By the time the Lone Gunmen arrived Mulder had worked himself up again. The only person in the world who was supposed to never let him down. He couldn’t look at her as he stood at the doorframe not able to bring himself to cross the threshold. He felt her eyes upon him, knew she was feeling foolish, that she was hurt, that he had separated them. Did she realize something irrevocable may have happened?

Mulder ran his tongue along the inside of his mouth just below his lip and then up against his cheek. He couldn’t forgive her for putting herself in danger, for lying to him.   He was fuming. He wanted to cry, punch the wall, kill somebody and make love to her all at the same time. Will he be able to forgive her?

When the disc was found to be blank she looked to him. He only stared at the floor. She risked their relationship for nothing. He looked up and sorrowful eyes stared back. His heart melted for her then turned to stone. He pressed his tongue hard against his bottom teeth so he didn’t start screaming at her in front of the guys.

After they stopped by the Smoking Man’s offices only to find them empty, Mulder played through the emotions in her eyes with empathy. So many times Cancer Man had put him through that same ringer. He could have prevented all of this if she would have come to him. As soon as CGB told her she had to keep him out of it, she should have known not to do it. Now she got to taste the bitterness for herself. He set it up to divide them and succeeded.

They drove back to his apartment in silence. The day had been a long one and he needed to be alone. He drove up alongside her car and turned off the ignition.

“Mulder, why do you think I’m still alive?”

He sighed and ran his hands along the steering wheel. “I really believe the plan was for you to be killed. I think he looked into your eyes and it was just as you said. He longed for something he could never have. You made him a better person. I know how you’re able to do that.” He sighed again and looked up at the sky, his eyes welling up. “Scully, I know you did what you thought was right. I know he conned you and I’ve been there. The part I’m having trouble with is you lied to me, you plotted to purposefully leave me out. You risked our trust and our friendship. Maybe you didn’t realize it at the time. Maybe you thought the tapes would be enough, but trusting you isn’t something I take lightly.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say. I can’t take it back. Do you want me to apologize?”

“No.”

They sat in silence until Scully gathered the courage to ask the question, “Are we going to be alright?”

He needed her to get out of the car, his eyes were starting to leak and if he didn’t leave now, he never would.  He croaked out in a faint whisper, “I don’t know.”


	3. Tearing Down The Fourth Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can't take away the good times. I've got them on blu-ray. Scully dishes some tough love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not to be taken seriously and yes it's very cheesy.

Mulder took a 180 degree turn and screeched to a halt in front of his house flying dust into the air. What mid-life crisis did the Bureau think I was going through he thought as he set the parking brake. He shrugged. At least they paid for the racing lessons and Fast and Furious DVDs. Mulder took off his new shades and placed them in his front pocket. It was then he saw Skinner on his porch and could hear faint screams coming from his cellar. “Skinner, what’s going on?” Mulder asked, fear rising from within.

“We got ‘em  Mulder. Doggett located him and brought him here.” Skinner grabbed Mulder’s arm dropping his voice to a low growl. “Easy. Scully is in with him now. I promised her she’d get first crack.”

“And what are you Skinner, like her bodyguard now?”

As Mulder entered the cellar he could hear Scully’s irritated voice echoing in the stone chamber. “I’ve been in agonizing pain the whole day. You gave me a stroke, got me in a car crash, suffocated me, attempted strangulation… then to end it all with rape… Not just any rape… you raped me with science…. And to deny these allegations? … even if it is all a lie... you sick, sick bastard.. To think we had love for you…”

Mulder took a final step down onto the concrete floor and saw Scully performing a roundhouse kick right to the man’s jaw, blood spattering the walls as his bottom lip split in two.

Mulder squinted and attempted to focus in the dimly lit room. Scully was pulling at what was left of the blonde strands of the man’s grayed head, forcing him to look her in the eye while her other hand prepared to cut into his neck with a scalpel.

Mulder was in shock. “Scully, what are you doing? Is that Chris?”

“You’re damn right it is. I’m giving him the same chip he shoved into me. Now don’t take it out… it’ll kill you.”

Chris Carter was tied to a wooden chair above a single dim light bulb hanging on a chain from their damp cellar. Blood stains covered his ripped jeans and shirt. “Scully wait. We can’t do this.”

Scully released Chris from her grip and turned to Mulder, her chest heaving in rage. “What about taking my son away from me Mulder? What about all those years keeping us apart? What about all the drawn out purple prose dancing in our heads? They’re not even good anymore. He killed your father and my sister..our mothers... And Deep Throat. What about my daughter Mulder? What about Emily?”

“Yeah, but he did make them space ghosts and sent them into the starlight. I’m not going to drudge up the past, I’ll leave it there. What he did to me doesn’t matter. What I can’t forgive is what he did to you Scully.”

Chris tried to speak, but Scully only shoved the handkerchief deeper into his throat.

Mulder crouched so he could look Chris in the eye. “Now I know “love” is a four letter word Chris, but I love Scully. I don’t just “care” for her more than anyone, I love her more than anyone. Now why did Scully have to spend the whole time in pain? Why couldn’t she come with me to face the smoking man? People want to see us, together, not me driving with uncharacteristic thoughts dancing through my head. What you fail to grasp is that even if this is all a lie, if CGB had anything at all to do with Scully's pregnancy, you've taken away our "miracle", the last little control we had to overcome all the adversity. Those last beautiful minutes of season 8 that made it worth it. And if it is all a lie, and you made everyone suffer through nine episodes before letting us know..." Mulder went into a wind up like he was pitching for the Yankees sending his knuckles into the side of Chris’ face, imprinting the skin. His cheekbone responded with an immediate swelling, purple rising underneath, blackening his eye. “That was for what you did to Scully.”

Mulder bent down and untied his feet getting him ready for round two. Standing, Mulder considered next actions.

“Mulder, easy.” Scully said running her hand delicately along his bicep. “I have a far crueler way to hurt him.” She wrapped her arms around Mulder’s neck, her fingers lacing through his hair, and gazed into his eyes. With all the sincerity in her heart she said to him, “I love you Mulder.” She looked back at Chris with her body pressed against Mulder's, one hand dropping to cover Mulder’s heart. “I  _ am _ in love with Mulder.” She returned her eyes back to Mulder’s attention as her hand cupped his beautiful face. “Romantic, non-platonic love and have been for a very long time.” They smiled at each other, caught inside the pull of their connection. “And I’m about to show you how unplatonic we can be.” Scully added raising an eyebrow.

Mulder’s smile grew wide and pure. “I love you Scully.” He looked over Scully’s shoulder back at Chris. “What you have to concede is that we live in the head-canon of everyone out there. That's where they get to decide what happens to us and there's nothing you can do about it. Now get up and go stand in the corner. You’re in a time-out. Glen Morgan’s up next.”


	4. The Fourth Wall Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder and Scully ponder over the second episode of season 11 "This".

A bottle cap flew through the air and landed, clinking into a bowl of empty sunflower seed shells. Scully very proudly took a sip of beer, savoring it as the cold fizziness quenched her thirst. Mulder followed with his cap and watched as it danced around the rim and fell onto the wood table. Scully smiled. After all these years, the Knicks still win off of her free throw instead of his. “That’s 2 to 1 Mulder. You really got to work on the 2 pointer.”

“Ha ha. It’s your fault. You’re distracting me.” He teased. “Maybe it’s because you look so adorbs..”

Scully eyeballed him. “Shutup Mulder,” she answered, smiling as she said it, spralled out on the couch with her feet resting on his lap. Rolling a piece of the beer label into a ball, she tossed it through the air, and hit him in the temple.

Mulder ignored the assault and instead pushed her legs off of him forcing her to sit up and rest them on the coffee table. He crossed his own next to hers, tapping the side of her foot flirtatiously with his. His arm found its way around her and she nestled into him. With a swig of beer he tried to wrap his head around this week’s episode. “Okay, you’ve got to explain this to me. Two years ago it was 2016 and those six episodes took place in six weeks and the first episode of this season took place the same day as the last episode of the last season and this episode is only two weeks after that one, right?”

“Correct. Maybe.” Scully nodded grabbing a handful of unbuttered popcorn.

“And now it’s 2018 but it’s supposed to still be 2016, which explained the existence of the internet cafe, but they’re doing jokes and references from 2018 and we’re supposedly broken up, but we’ve spent the past two weeks doing x-files together in our old home and we’re supposed to believe that nothing is going on, but you called it “our home” to Skinner. Not to mention, what made us that damn tired to have us napping on the couch in the first place? I want to believe Scully, I really do, but I know our current sex life, I read it every day in fanfic. There’s no way we are only engaging in platonic activity. Even I can’t buy into that theory.”

Scully took another sip of beer. “Maybe it’s not the last episode of Season 10 that’s a vision, but season 11?”

“No. that would be a waste.” Mulder paused. “Carter better not have done _that_. Maybe we’re watching another alternative reality?”

“From season 10? Now I’m confused. The comics/audiobooks were set in another universe, we’re obviously in another universe right now, now season 10 and 11 could be separate universes… and what about the Thisman appearing in the Lone Gunman photo? Did that mean the episode was all a dream or the viewer is the dreamer and their consciousness has already been sucked into the system by their cellphones? My heads starting to hurt,” Scully said rubbing her eyebrow.

“Another vision?” Mulder asked sounding concerned.

“No Carter logic.” Scully countered. “William, do you have something to do with these multiverses?”

William looked up from the lego Millenium Falcon he was building at the dining room table. “No mom. I swear.”

Just then a knock came at the door and both Mulder and Scully cocked their Glocks.

“Come in” They said in unison.

Skinner opened the door and stuck his head in noticing the firearms pointing in his direction.

“You guys can put those things away. It’s only Vince Gilligan and Glen Morgan.” Skinner bellowed.

They both smiled and got off the couch, Mulder shaking Glen’s hand while Scully kissed Vince. “I’m so glad you two stopped by, what brings you around?” Scully mused.

Glen spoke first. “I’m looking for Chris. Have you seen him?”

Mulder frowned. “No, I can’t say we have... Skinner?”

Skinner shook his head.

Scully fondly held Vince’s hand. “It’s too bad you couldn’t be with us this season.”

Vince averted his eyes and looked to Mulder, “You know I wanted to do an episode, but Carter never bothered to pick up the phone.”

“Well, we really do miss you Vince” Scully said sincerely with her hand on his chest.

Vince blushed. “I miss you too Dana.”

Mulder cleared his throat. “Um… Scully?”

Scully spun around to see Mulder with his finger pointing down his throat.

Vince followed Scully’s eyeline and Mulder played it cool, tossing an arm around him. “You know, if you’re interested Vince, I’d be happy to make a cameo on Better Call Saul, maybe meet him in the desert while I’m on the hunt for UFOs and he’s hiding some money out there or I’m investigating Mike…”

“Umm yeah, sure Mulder…” Vince said politely, “I’ll have my people call yours…”

“Yeah, but I don’t have …” Mulder started but Vince waved goodbye, “I’ll see you guys later.”

Glen waved goodbye as well and Mulder and Scully waved back. “Great episode by the way Glen.” Mulder called out. "Loved the cold open, another Hannibal reference, all the easter eggs including beloved Deep Throat, Langly's reaction to Scully, our Jack Bauer training - thank our old pals and writers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa for us, and way to remind Black Mirror that we did it first."

“Energizing breath of fresh air.” Scully added. “Although, remember, I like checking Mulder for head wounds and we’re still acting like we’re on Molly, and at some point weed… presumably why we now love bran muffins… but this episode was still 1,000 times better… it seemed like an evolution of the episode "Kill Switch" and handcuffing us together and Mulder checking out my chest… priceless. Oh, and were you teasing us trying to make it look like we were going to kiss and then Mulder acting like he was going to throw up? That was... funny.”

"Hey Glen," Mulder called before he had gotten fully out the door, "Does this mean the plan of the new/old Syndicate is to upload the genius brains that are going to be exterminated by the coming apocalypse so the Syndicate will have the knowledge to build/live in that Dyson sphere?

Glen only smiled, "Goodnight Mulder." Once Glen and Vince left, Mulder turned to Skinner, “Has Chris eaten today?”

“I just sent some food down with Doggett.”

Skinner took off for the night and once alone they headed back to the couch. “Mulder, in season 10, didn’t Skinner say he didn’t know what happened to the x-files, but now he does know? What really is up with Skinner?”

“Skinner’s episode doesn’t come until later. Patience.”

*

“On the menu today is your choice of Purity Control Ribs or some delicious Chaco Fried Chicken. If you don’t like that, there might be some Los Pollos Hermanos I can sneak you that’s left that Vince dropped off,” Doggett replied as he threw the buckets of each in the corner by Chris’ feet. “Mulder must be comin’ around because he also told me you can have some iced tea in this bag if you were thirsty.”

Doggett took out the iced tea and handed it to Chris who took it greedily, removing the lid, and quickly poured it down his throat.

Doggett started pacing, “Ya know Chris, everybody is real happy upstairs, on a high from Glen’s episode, but I didn’t get to let you know how I feel about what you did with Monica.” Doggett’s closed fist landed squarely against Chris’ weak aging abs causing him to keel over. “We had a good thing going and you know she’s very sweet, but she’s not the brightest bulb. And where am I in this new season? It’s all a lot of mumbo jumbo if you ask me. You could have at least had me run across the screen and yell soupa solja or something…. ya know.. like..Hey Mulda..Watch out.. there’s a soupa solja!”

“There’s no more super soldiers,” Chris mumbled, coughing and still recovering from his aching abs, “They left because we’ve destroyed the planet with our global warming, poisoned food supply, and Michael Moore documentaries.”

“What? No super soldiers? Well, I bet nobody is missing them.. But I bet they miss me a little. Anyway, it’s your turn again. Think real hard before next week. You’re concentrating on writing, not directing, so that may help. Last week you almost gave me a seizure.”

*

With William upstairs in his room on the phone with his latest girlfriend, Scully didn’t protest when Mulder’s lips found their way to hers, or when his hips started dry humping her on the couch. His hand slid underneath her sweater as her fingers worked on unbuttoning his pants, gliding across the sparse hairs of the warm delicate skin at his waistband. That is until she heard William inside her head. “Ew mom, can you please turn off our connection? I can see your thoughts in my head. So gross.”

“Sorry.” Scully called to upstairs. She flipped Mulder a “whoops” look and turned to watch tv while Mulder spooned her, giving her little kisses along her neckline causing her hairs to stand on end and insides to pulse. Caught up in the motions of his body and roaming hands, she ground against him and rotated to capture his lips once again. Just as Mulder’s tongue swept into her mouth he yelled in pain. “Ow!”

“William” Scully called to him again. “Stop using your telekinesis to hit your father in the head with your drone.”  

William bounced down the stairs as he threw on his jacket. “I’m going to Rick’s. You guys really need to stop.”

The door slammed shut and Mulder turned to Scully. “You get the handcuffs, I’ll get the cherry filling and whipped cream…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are so inclined and haven't read it yet, Chapter 80 of "Rooted in Friendship" covers some of the history of Mulder having his hands "cuffed" behind his back :) Warning, it is quite graphic and why I didn't add it here.


	5. Mulder & Scully go to IKEA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Per Request. From Episode 11.02 and Mulder's need to go to IKEA.

Scully was frustrated and they were only in the first section of the IKEA store. She looked over and Mulder was playing with some kind of bamboo seats which, as if on cue, promptly toppled over. He turned and gave her a look of innocence and boyish charm.

“Why don’t we start with getting rid of the couch?” Scully offered thinking that just maybe it could get them in a direction.

“What’s wrong with my couch? It’s lived in, it’s comfortable.."

“….it smells like alien butt.” Scully grimaced while she played with some plastic wood candlesticks.

“I’m getting worried about you and your obsessions with alien butts. Is there something you need to tell me?” Mulder asked shooting her a raised eyebrow.

Scully ignored him and walked over to run her hand across a striped fabric couch.

“No more stripes…” Mulder called over. “Reminds me of that gum…”

“What about this one Mulder? Leather… brings back memories…” She frowned as she saw him fake dribbling and chucking the ornamental rattan and aluminum balls into a garden basket. “Mulder!”

“We need a table first…” He answered showing disappointment on missing his last shot. He looked over to Scully. “Do we really have to go through this whole maze? If the Pentagon was built like this I never would have found your chip.”

Scully followed Mulder as he wandered into the next room filled with work space storage.

“You do not need more filing cabinets. It’s bad enough our place looks like a bachelor pad inside the Stughold Mining Company. Focus.”

Mulder took a hard right and she lost him, but heard his exclamation from somewhere deeper inside the store. “Ahha… kitchen stuff!”

Scully aimlessly drifted into the dining area, looking at tables and instinctively ducked as an errand knife buzzed her ear. She caste a warning look to Mulder who rocked the knife out of its new home in a staged display cabinet. He threw her an apologetic glance and explained. “Testing for sharpness. Never know when it might come in handy.”

Scully ignored him and crouched down to inspect a table. “Do you prefer the fake maple or faux oak?” Leaning her hands on her knees she got back up into a standing position. “You do realize almost anythig you buy here has to be put together.”

“I believe you've always been very happy with my abilities concerning placing tab A into slot B. In fact I recall several screams of approval.”

Scully passed him a knowing look and they both turned towards the bedroom area as the sound of screaming children got louder and eventually found them. “Don’t you have parents?” Scully exclaimed clearly agitated as they ran passed.

Mulder, meanwhile, was test driving the beds. “Scully? Oh, Scully..” He called from a king he was currently sprawled out on.

“What?” she asked as she walked over to him.

With both hands he rattled the curved wooden poles nestled inside the headboard. “You think this will hold up to the abuse?”

“Mulder, we’re not getting anywhere…”

He did a sit up and jumped from the bed slinging his arm around her. “How about we make like all the proof we've ever come across.... then go to a nice adults only coffee shop…”


	6. Chris Carter - Dimming Our Afterglow since 1993

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tonight, Chris Carter dumped a bucket full of ice water on my head and I'm not sure what to think anymore. Not to fear, my doppelganger is working on the next chapter: ATTHS TWICE.  
> This is in response to his comments on this episode and how their feelings for each other, sex or not, is strictly platonic love. The range of emotions. I just can't deal right now. I've been forced to upgrade from wine to whiskey.

 Mulder quietly crept down the cellar stairs to find Carter in the corner where they left him. His clothes still ripped and stained from their previous confrontations. The grime on his face and hands noticeable over the pale incandescents of a small 40 watt bulb. The cellar smelled of dampness and cold with added remnants of chicken bones and bbq.  Carter cowered as Mulder approached. “So, you’ve seen the episode. You come down to beat me up again Mulder or will you finally untie me? I’ve made it abundantly clear that you two are having sex. That should make you happy, shouldn’t it?”

Mulder nodded solemnly and quietly untied Carter offering him a seat while Mulder took the stool opposite him. They were quiet for a while. Carter rubbed his sore wrists while Mulder looked as though he might cry. “I understand now and I’m letting you go,” Mulder stated quietly as a single tear cascaded down his cheek.  

Carter looked slightly confused. “Mulder, shouldn’t you be happy? Isn’t that what you wanted? What all of you wanted?”

“No. What I saw was two friends comforting each other for fear that their sacrifices could possibly be for nothing. What I saw was Scully’s guilt from herself and I never having realized romantic relationships in their lives and the fear that to do so translates into giving each other up. This is added to the guilt Scully has for me never having the chance to raise a son due to her decisions.” Mulder took a loud congested breath, and began to break down. His tears streamed from his eyes. “Why do you constantly doubt that Scully and I are in love Chris? Will we choose to be together?... Chris, I’ve spent more of my life as a romantic partner to Scully than as a platonic one. How did we get here?”

Chris sighed and gently put his hand on Mulder’s back to comfort him. “Mulder, you and Scully love each other very much.  You have a deep intellectual and spiritual bond, but your love is platonic.”

“Do you really believe that Chris? She said she fell in love with me.”

“And she did Mulder, but at the end of the day, you want something that I’m just not willing to concede.”

Mulder put his head in his hands and sobbed openly. “This is tragedy Chris. The strongest, deepest love I’ve ever known… and what? We fell into each other’s arms, not because we found our love again, but because…. We’re human….prisoner to the joy of the moment... Our youth is gone… our quest means what? We still have yet to see… the only child I ever had… is he mine Chris?… What’s really going on here? Don’t you see how painful this story is?”

Mulder looked up at the sound of Scully’s footsteps. “Mulder, what’s wrong?”

He rose from his chair, lines of tears falling from his eyes as they welled all over again. “After all this time Scully, the aliens aren’t coming, my child may not be the miracle you think and may not even be mine, and you Scully… I even lost you… ask Chris… he says he doesn't believe we're in love.”

Scully looked at him doubtfully.  “Now Mulder, we’re not even half way through, you don’t know where any of this is leading. Can’t you be happy with what we do have? Yes, I’m fearing growing old and us meeting other people and growing apart, but the episode ended with me opening the door. Mulder, what happened to don’t give up and I want to believe?”

“I want to believe Scully, but we’re fighting not only the devil, but the god that created us.”

Scully took Mulder’s hand. “We’ve been through worse Mulder. Love...in love… let’s just enjoy the ride. We’re still here together and I made a promise in that bed to never leave you. Our love is stronger than romance Mulder and as far as our quest, we may never defeat evil, but as long as we’re here fighting the fight, evil doesn’t get to win either. Mulder, we got another episode with Karin Konoval. That’s something to be happy about.”

Chris bolted from the cellar as Mulder took Scully in his arms and Scully dried his tears. Mulder pulled back to look into Scully’s eyes and Scully laughed. “Only you Mulder could watch definitive confirmation of us having sex and get depressed over it. Now let’s go back upstairs. We still have an episode to review.”

As they made their way out of the cellar, Mulder continued, his voice trailing off into the darkness. “The more Chris toys with my emotions, the more I like the premise for the x-files spinoff - Father and Son Save the World…."

"Where am I in that picture?"

"We're married and you work at the hospital but you do some cameos now and then unless you choose to join us again... In that whole scene, I didn’t see a kiss Scully… why couldn’t we at least have gotten a kiss?”


	7. The Fourth Wall Pt. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder and Scully eat pizza and review "Plus One"

“What’s the matter Scully, you don’t enjoy the punk rock version of David Duchovny’s song?”

“I’m not saying that, but if a Duchovny song is playing I prefer to stare at him while he sings it.” Scully smiled as she knocked back her first beer of the night.

“And…. now... I’m jealous.” Mulder stated bluntly, “What’s William up to tonight?” he asked as he cracked open his own bottle.

“Said he had a party to go to. I told him not to be home too late. He really likes that girl he’s seeing. You better have that birds and bees talk with him before he sees anymore of her. That is unless you're ready to become grandparents.”

“Will do Doc. Although that's not the worst thought in the world, you and me as grandparents,” Mulder returned, his attention back on the television. “Well, it seems we’re back in the basement.”

“The entire FBI is the basement now.” Scully chuckled to herself and took another beer.

“Easy on the beers there partner. What’s so funny? I look good with my Elvis sideburns back and shorter haircut. I might even sport the Duchovny Aquarius buzz, what do you think?”

“How about sporting that Aquarius bulge? Those were some angles the directors took with those tight pants.”

“Okay, no more Duchovny talk tonight. You’re really beginning to upset me now.”

“You brought it up”, she added in a quick rebuttal preferring to have the last word. “Actually I was referring to when you said, “You’re looking at him” and was referring to the pictures. Like I would be looking at anything else besides you.”

“Okay, now you’re being nice to make up for earlier.”

Scully smiled at Mulder’s insecurities and took a swig out of her bottle of beer.

A scene of them interrogating the boy passed over the screen. “Wow Scully, we look like legit FBI.. we could do one of those serious crime shows.”

“Yeah and your suits are so much better,” Scully added.

“So’s your hair.” Mulder shot back just as the doorbell rang. “You expecting someone?”

“The pizza man.”

“I’m sorry, what? The pizza man has some nerve showing up here.”

“We’re not doing the pizza man jealousy routine Mulder or else _I_ may hang myself.”

After paying the delivery man and shooing him away, Mulder gathered a couple paper plates and napkins, opened the box, and handed a slice to Scully as he dipped into his own, his attention back on the screen.”I like how I so conveniently found this woman in the mental hospital. I’m so astute.”   

He watched as they walked down the hospital hallway. “Scully you’re outfits are banging. You are just undeniably hot.”

“Mulder… can you call me Dana again… in that low raspy.. I need to fuck you voice?”

“Sure.." Mulder replied distracted, "Scully, why are we playing games like we weren’t just living together in the last episode? This season is so bizarre. It also feels like the writers all caught up on their fanfic over the two year hiatus. I’m not sure if this season is weird in a good way or a bad way...and by the way.. A bed with you Scully… is always comfy…." They exchanged smiles and Mulder grabbed another slice of pizza. The scene changed and Mulder almost choked. "Shit Scully… another outfit...I can’t take how hot you are in this episode. We might need to pause this for a commercial break and go upstairs...”

Scully put his thought on hold for the moment. “Mulder, what is up with all the dookie? Carter is beyond immature, and the stereotypical women need to have children to validate themselves… I just can’t… wait… did Carter just have Mulder refer to the brother as the queerest little man? Why, because Karin Konoval is playing all four characters, brilliantly I might add, but really? Please alert the LGBTQ… this man needs some education…”

The next scene came on and Mulder's jaw dropped. “Can we get back to you.. On this bed and us with our top buttons missing…”

Scully shook her head in disgust. “This is totally inaccurate Mulder, I would have so taken you right in that doorway. I can’t deny it, _you_ are freakin’ hot...I think right now I’m just going through the motions of arguing the scientific reasoning against ghosts…”

“It’s like turning down the lights, lighting the candles, and putting on some Barry White…”

“Do people still listen to Barry White?”

“Sure they do…. " Mulder took another bite of pizza and gulp of beer watching them do their back and forth on a bed exchanging fuck me eyes. "Why didn’t I just call you out on those insecurities and tell you how there isn’t a man or woman alive that wouldn’t have sex with you?”  
“..I’ll refer you to Chris Carter writing the episode Mulder…" The television showed Scully, visibly shaken by Mulder's presence in the night at her bedside. "I like the whole devil at your back where Mulder keeps popping up….those nurses are a riot… remind me not to go to that hospital.. ” Scully snagged another slice of pizza. “And now we’re in a diner and more objectifying of women because it’s a Carter episode.”

“Scully, I want to be a ninja as much as anyone, but who has this many swords?..." 

Scully appeared at Mulder's bedside on the screen and Mulder put down his pizza to hold Scully's hand. "Scully you just came into my bedroom and asked if I could hold you...I can now die a happy man.”

They watched in silence as the dialogue unfolded. Mulder, physically upset by the whole scene. He grabbed the remote and hit the pause button. He turned to Scully and the sincerity in his eyes shot a bullet exploding in Scully's heart, lightning shooting inside her chest. “Scully, I had to pause this because I want you to know.. I need you to know…that I have no clue what fucked up reality we’re watching unfold, but one doesn’t exist where I can be with another woman besides you. In the past 25 years, you’re the only one I’ve ever been with.. The only one I’ve ever known… the only woman I've ever truly been in  love with and I can’t comprehend a reality where there is a Fox Mulder that wouldn't do anything to make sure you know that… those hesitations and this conversation..only happens in Carter’s reality. If you want to have more kids,... I want to have more kids. We are the same soul Scully and if Carter doesn’t grasp that...he’s just wrong.”

“Well, I’m glad you picked yourself up out of that cellar Mulder because you’re starting to talk like yourself again…"

He kissed her lips and stroked her hair, searching Scully's eyes to make sure she had no doubts. They sat back and he unpaused the show. "Why does everyone forget about Emily?" Scully whispered.

"I don't know," Mulder sighed.

Scully folded her arms, "I think this might be Carter’s sick way of foreshadowing..the whole St. Rachel motel..infertility motif..I still think something big is coming..”

Mulder smirked, “Yeah it is..you got that look in your eye…”

“Mulder…” Scully warned.

Just then the camera panned and the Doppelganger appeared in the closet. Mulder laughed. “Yeah...I knew you liked to watch Scully." He shook his head. "Your doppelganger is doing some things to me..maybe we can work in a threesome later…” 

Mulder put his arm around Scully and pulled her closer to him and relaxed. “Look at that “hell yeah I just slept with Scully smirk on my face,” “Put a dimmer on that afterglow” Definitely the best line of the night and of course it comes from yours truly... I like how you’re so kickass Scully. No Doppelganger is beating you, but really, you took the communion bread tablets? Too much time around me I guess…. Remember when I tried to make a cross out of breadsticks to fight the vampires?”

Mulder was hammering on a mile a minute, but Scully was watching him flip himself, with his shirt unbuttoned and muscles flexing, “Maybe we can have a foursome Mulder, your acrobatics are something.”

The final scene came on and they watched Mulder enter the motel room to Scully packing her overnight bag. “I like how you say we need a couple hours before checkout," Scully hinted.

“Doesn’t it usually take that long?”

Scully ran her hand along the inside of Mulder's thigh and snuggled in closer to him. “Oh, yes, which is why I _have_ to open that door….Carter is so cheesy with my lines..." Scully stopped mid thought as Mulder appeared at the other end of the door. "OMG Mulder...when I open that door...that look…”


	8. 11.03

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deleted Scenes from Plus One. Reader Discretion Advised

Checking into the St. Rachel Motel at a convenient 11:21PM

Scully’s incredulous glare found Mulder’s impatient eyes. He was not cooperating. Scully thought he had understood their discussion concerning not digressing into bad habits while out in the field. Finding excuses to share a bed while on a case was something right out of the book from the year 2000. Back then the notion of keeping their hands off each other was a ridiculous one, but they were older now, more mature. Sex didn’t have the hold on them that it once had in younger years. Their attraction narrowed to a comfortable friendship. At least that was what she was trying to convince herself. Scully wanted to return to professional casework, especially with the fragility between the relationship with the FBI and the government and that meant keeping it in their pants. For now. At least until they returned home. Besides protocol, which went out the window decades ago, they had yet to discuss their arrangement, which was now more convoluted than ever, and actually the last thing Scully wanted to analyze. It only brought up questions she didn’t want answered. How after so many years were they back to defining their relationship and plaguing one’s mind with where the relationship was going? It reduced the intrinsic love they had to a sex romp with the romantic depths of bingeing something from The CW. Still, Scully was uncertain of a life with Mulder after what transpired following 2012. He had put her through the ringer and she wasn’t sure if her choice would be to live like that again. It had hurt to see him in that condition and what hurt the most was what it had done to their relationship. But now, with them back in the game, with them in the same house, doing all the things they once did… she wanted her life back. She wanted Mulder back. Did he want her back?

When the woman offered the pull out sofa in the motel, Scully agreed and passed Mulder an annoyed look.

“Just trying to get some shuteye,” Mulder responded, but his face told the story of a man on the prowl.

“I’m glad to hear it.” She returned attempting to remind him of their agreement.

Mulder peeled his eyes not understanding the animosity. They had just spent two very glorious weeks together in their home. Why was she being standoffish now? He assumed she figured he was up to their old ways back to circa 2000, but the truth was he was happy just to be with her. To be around her. At this point in life, he was going to take what she was willing to offer him. In whatever form that may be. The fact that they conveniently had an excuse to share a bed together just sweetened the pot for him.

Scully was acting strangely and he was having a tough time reading her signals which was never something that was an issue, so he knew her conflict must be within. He was willing to play the waiting game for he knew eventually they’d be back in their home together. Back where she belonged.  

*

In the motel room after a day on the case, her questions threw him. Concerns about age and looks? Ridiculous insecurities that he never thought he’d hear come out of Dana Katherine Scully’s mouth. Didn’t she understand his heart beat for her stronger than it ever did? What inner turmoil must be brewing for her to bring up such notions? She’d always be beautiful through his eyes and she had aged into the most beautiful woman he had ever met, but beyond that it was his soul that would always be demanding of her companionship. The question threw him off his game so badly, he answered it meekly.

Kicking him to the couch for the second night he still was happy just to be close. “Knock three times.” he called out as he retired quoting the old 1970’s Tony Orlando and Dawn song, singing it while he brushed his teeth “....Pull in the string with the note that's attached to my heart, Read how many times I saw you, How in my silence I adored you, Only in my dreams did that wall between us come apart, Oh my darling, Knock three times on the ceiling if you want me..” He gave himself one last smile drying his face before leaving the bathroom and thought to himself, just play it cool, she’ll come to me. She always does. He had to have faith in the belief that it was all meant to be.

They say that the third time's the charm and it appeared to be. He woke with a surprise, the devil at his back being Scully.

“Something about this case is getting under my skin.” Scully stated clearly bothered.

“Well, we’ve had stranger cases Scully,” he replied trying to ease her nerves.

“Can you hold me?” she pleaded and it tugged on his heart strings, he didn’t like to see her vulnerable like this, questioning herself. Her asking him to hold her was not the Scully he knew.

He considered it for a moment. Would he be able to be that close to her and not want more? Well, no, but could he keep his desires at bay? Yup, that part would be just like old times. Like putting on that old pair of fuzzy slippers.  

“Yeah, I can do that,” he stated and held the sheet open for her and as she climbed in he wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes as his heart constricted inside his chest. Lately his love for her was like a gaping wound, but as she pressed her back into him, his heart melted mending some of the scars. The vanilla lavender scent of her shampoo, the sweetness of her perfume, the way she always fit perfectly inside his muscular cocoon… he fell in love just as he did the first time, every time.

“What’s going to happen?” Scully asked, pulling Mulder from his state of euphoria.

“What’s going to happen when?”

“When we’re old?”

“What do you mean when?” He snickered.

She gave him an appreciative sigh. “Sooner of later we’re going to retire, are we going to spend time together?” He looked out into the room trying to grasp where she was coming from.

“I’ll come push your wheelchair with my wheelchair,” He said trying to comfort her. She had broken up with him and he was trying his best to be accommodating, not trying to assume too much. Was she asking if he would remain friends with her if she decided to back away again? The question was on the border of absurd and insanity.

“That’s not what I mean.”

Okay. He thought it over. Maybe she was talking about if we’d still do x-files together after we retire? “Oh, I’ll always be around Scully, offering bullet proof theories that your geniuses fail to assail with your inadequate rationality.”

Scully laughed. “Well, I’ll always be around to prove you wrong.”

“Hmph,” he answered and held her closer closing the small gaps between them so there was no longer a distinction between her and him.

“Promise,” she committed and his heart skipped a beat. He didn’t quite understand where this was rooted or where it was going, but vows had to be a positive direction.

“No, but that’s not what I mean.”

“What do you mean,” Mulder needed to get to the bottom of what was troubling her because his heart couldn’t take it, it was begging to release the feelings inside its walls. Still, he was fearful to get his hopes up.

“What if you meet someone.” He shook his head, it hit him hard and he had to lift his head away from her to create distance, and close his eyes. It hurt. He felt the stiletto pierce his coronary arteries. The blood spilled through his insides, burning and stinging his soul. He shook it off.

“What if you meet someone younger who wants to have kids.” His nerve endings went numb as pins and needles shot into his fingertips. In 25 years he had never looked at another, wanted another, he had only recently understood that he must remind himself to breathe on his own. Finding a way forward was what kept him living all those days and nights alone. He nodded, “That’s what you mean.” She was in crisis mode he thought to himself. She didn’t know where they were going anymore than he did and the thought of them drifting to separate lives… He shook his head and tightened his lips not knowing quite how to answer, his chest tight and on fire. With his stomach doing jumping jacks he posed the question back to her. “You could do the same, you could meet someone and have kids.”

“Mulder that’s not going to happen. I’m at the end of that journey.”

“Do you want to have more kids?” This conversation was destroying him. They had this conversation already years ago when they were still together. Now she’s having regrets?

“Well, I would have liked to have had another one.” His heart jackknifed again in his chest. He could feel his lungs reaching against his ribs, begging for breath. God Scully, he thought to himself. Why bring this up now and why not before? Despite all that was going on inside him, he carried on. What was she looking for him to say?

“At the risk of sounding insensitive, what’s stopping you?”

“Besides the fact that the first time was a miracle and besides the fact that I don’t have anyone to have one with even if I could?” Whatever pieces of his heart she had shattered with the last question had now been ground to dust. Did she want him to offer himself to her? Was she having doubts about leaving? Did she not want him to be with anyone else? Did she now want the family he had offered her 18 years ago or the one he offered to give her after he was cleared of all charges in 2008? He was so uncertain, so fragile from the pain of the past 5 minutes, he didn’t have the strength to put himself out there. So he took the safest route.

“You’re a woman of science.”

Scully breathed out another sigh. “Mulder, sometimes I think the world is going to hell and we’re the only two people that can save it.”

He felt a small relief wash over him. Changing the subject would allow him to recover. That other conversation had them dancing around a subject he was yet to pinpoint and she wouldn’t come right out and say if she wanted more distance to find herself a life while they tried to remain friends or if she wanted to try again with him like he thought they had been doing the past month. Was she feeling that insecure tonight that she needed him to once again prove his undying devotion to her? To tell her he wanted all that with her now as much as he ever did. He wasn’t prepared to go through all this tonight. The wound was too fresh and he was too emotionally charred.

Changing that subject to discussing their plight was comforting. “The world  _is_ going to hell Scully. And the president is working to bring down the FBI along with it.” Conversation was wasted on them he thought to himself. It was mere words. Their communication, their hum was on a deeper level and right now he felt that hum, growing, strong and solid.

“What if we lose our jobs?” she proposed.

“Yeah, then what would we do?” He rubbed his cheek against her and felt her flush. The conversation had taken that turn. Maybe she hadn’t fully realized that being apart meant being with other people. Maybe she wanted to claim back the heart she had branded. The other part of herself she left inside him. Without their jobs, it was still them against the world. He wasn’t certain when it had occurred, but their hearts began beating in unison, their eyelids blinked to the same rhythm and his body craved existence. He felt her soul lighting up inside his arms.

She turned to look him in the eye. Why she hadn’t done that in the first place he would never know because her eyes spoke his truth. Their truth. They were back to themselves at their core. 92.96 million miles to the sun and back, it was them. It would always be them. Saving the planet, the human plight, and saving themselves. Take him or leave him, he belonged to her and as independent as two individuals got, they were still not themselves unless they were together.

Her eyes drifted to his lips and she replied, “We’ll think of something.” It was a small move, but his body answered. He smiled tentatively as their eyes locked again. This time he felt the pulse in his groin as it tightened. Her eyes willing his cock to swell. In that moment she was more beautiful than he had ever seen her. She smiled back and the floodgates of his heart gave way. He waited for her to bring her lips to him, and only then did his right arm move to tangle his hand in her hair as his lips moved over hers, needy and wet, pushing hard against her own and she returned his need, and he felt his cock surge. He kissed down her neck and then back to her lips. He was so hard he was ready to burst from his skin. “Scully, touch me.” He kissed her again, his tongue following so it could connect with her own, tangling and receding only to join again. He felt her hand at his chest, rubbing and scratching, moving down to his abs, until her small hand was at his waistband and somehow his cock grew thicker as it reached for her. She breached the waistband and finally her fingers wrapped around him, dancing along the length. He was throbbing so hard he could feel it in his back, up his spine, in his ears. He broke their kiss as she pumped him carefully in her hands and their eyes held. “You feel that Scully. You feel how hard I am?” He waited for her nod. “Can you feel how hard it's pulsing?” At that moment she squeezed him as she nodded the surge was so severe he almost came in her hand. He underestimated how badly he really wanted her.  “Answer me Scully. I need to hear it.”

“Yes,” she replied keeping hold of his eyes.

“That’s you Scully. That’s how much you turn me on. That’s how beautiful you are, how much my body aches for yours even at 57 years old. The next time you have doubts, you remember how hard you make me, just by the sight of you.”

She closed her eyes and stroked him as she released a cry, “Mulder.”

He captured her lips again, more forceful this time, removing his boxers, unbuttoning the black silk of her nightgown, brushing the skin between them as it floated to the floor. Tracing her nipples with his fingers, he pinched them before taking them into his mouth and he groaned, “Your body is perfection Scully.”

He kissed his way down her body, not giving her a choice, but to comply. He released a lungful of air before inhaling her arousal, pleasure surged through every inch of him, overwhelming and blissful. He was going to make her regret those two nights he spent on the couch. She was hot against his tongue, her body already dripping as he plunged forth. The minutes past as his mouth gently massaged the area between her thighs, expertly licking and sucking the place that he knew like the blood in his veins. Even if all this was only for the smallest sliver of a night, she was going to remember who owned her. Her fingers were stroking his face, in his hair, and she began to wriggle and moan and repeat his name. And right as she tightened, he pulled away and sent kisses down her inner thigh. “Ahhh,” Scully cried. Lubricating his fingers with his tongue, he sent them to lovingly stroke her breasts, pinching her nipples as he continued to tease her with his mouth, finally rewarding her with his tongue once again. He was enjoying himself. She tasted like the sweetest sugar as his tongue swirled around the sensation flowering inside her, and her body tensed again underneath him. Again he denied her and again she cried his name. 45 minutes had past before his fingers came to join his tongue, his lips ever so lightly grazing the area, teasing her into a frenzy. His heart felt every last bit of the pleasure that surged inside her. He allowed her insides to begin their contracting  but he didn’t let it last for he flipped her over and spread her legs sliding his cock inside. It was already so wet and she was still pulsating around him as she begged him for more. The pleasure was so intense he almost cried. She grasped at the cushions at the head of the sofa as he thrust hard and fast shoving a pillow beneath her stomach to elevate her. His hands were at her hips, and with labored breath he spoke to her between staccato moans, “Scully, right now I have the view of the most gorgeous ass I have ever laid eyes on.” He had never spoken to her like this before, but if that's what she needed, his job was to fulfill any and all needs. She gave him a long tortured moan and he pumped harder and faster, completely out of breath. He only stopped as he felt her tighten again, ignoring the ringing in his ears. He lifted her up so she was kneeling on the bed with him still inside her. Her back slick against his chest, he had one hand holding her up at her breast, the other drenched at her clit and he thrusted hard up into her. The position allowed her perfume to fill his lungs and his breath was at her ear. “Oh, Scully, You're so beautiful,” managed to escape from his lips. She reached her arm backwards to wrap around his neck and he desperately wished he could tell her how much he loved her. With her other hand she clutched his hand at her breast tight as he thrusted harder, the fingers of his right hand continuing their strumming. Her neck craned as her eyes closed tight, yes, she was completely his and he could feel every muscle of her body as he filled it with pleasure.  His body sliding against her, wrapped around her as he moved inside. This was what he missed, what he needed. He felt her grow tight around him, numbing pleasure radiating into him.  The sounds coming from her made his toes curl and he moaned loudly as he felt the coil of his own orgasm. He pulled out suddenly, twisting her body so she fell onto the bed on her back. He didn’t mean to surprise her like that, but his emotions had got the better of him and he had to face her. He rested on top of her, trying to forestall the inevitable. Her legs wrapped knowingly around him and her hips rose to stroke him against her folds warming his cock. He closed his eyes as the throbbing shot pleasure through his body. When he opened them their eyes locked and he took in her true essence, her energy, her soul. He leaned in as if to kiss her, but stopped so their was the tiniest gap, enough to feel their magnetic pull. When their lips finally met they moaned into the other’s mouth. Mulder wasn’t sure if his heart could survive this. Her tongue delicately slipped against his and he almost lost his sanity. Her tongue did the most amazing things to him. He wasn’t waiting anymore, he reached down between his legs and sunk inside her. He pressed his hips hard against her, wanting to be inside as deep as he could go. He watch her face and waited for it. That look. The way she closed her eyes when he first entered her. This moment, staring into her eyes, caressing her lips, holding her so close, felt like yesterday. There was so much honesty in their connection. Like no time had ever passed that they had been apart. It no longer felt like being in a pullout of a cheap motel room couch, but their bed in their old life. Mulder took in the sight of her fiery hair falling over her shoulder and swaying back and forth as he moved slowly inside her. He hoped she didn’t notice the way he was smiling, giddy like a boy at his first star trek convention. Her hips moved in time with their experienced rhythm, pausing and changing tempo, keeping the pace. She was the only one that knew him. Every sexual thing that turned him on was inside her head. All she had to do was reach in and pluck it from her memory. Mulder slowed, pushing in hard and deep, but then withdrew excruciatingly slow. It was too slow for her and he knew she wanted more, but he would deny her until he was ready, still savoring the moment.  Her hips begged him and she looked in his eyes as she stroked his hair, her voice was just above a whisper, “Mulder, I want you to come inside me.” He smiled despite himself, and picked up the pace, and felt in her eyes her own pleasure take over. He held her tight as she contracted around him and he pulsed inside her as she drained him. They caught their breath together as they hugged each other. Exhaustion hit and he fell to the other side of the bed on his back realizing he had never even removed his undershirt. Scully drifted to sleep while he stared at the ceiling. What did this mean? Would they go back to being a couple? Was she giving them another chance? Would his heart survive?  He looked over to her to see her sleeping brushing her forehead against his own. Still not tired he headed to the bathroom to get a drink and rinse his parched mouth still covered in her essence. As his hand ran across his stubble he realized she may have some beard burn down there in the morning. He laughed at himself in the mirror for his overanalyzing ways and smiled, enjoying the moment. Fox Mulder and Dana Katherine Scully just had sex. She couldn’t resist him. He knew he still had it after all these years.

*

Mulder entered the room, quietly closing the door behind him. Failing at his attempt to be as casual as possible considering the woman he was trying to be coy with read him like a book. “So I was thinking we could..uh..get a couple hours in before checkout time?”

Scully bowed her head as she stared him down through her eyelashes. She knew exactly what he was up to.  

He shook his head as he lied, “I’m just talking about getting some shut eye.” Then closed his eyes as not even he believed it.

Scully nodded back. “I’m glad to hear that Mulder.”

His arms flared as his shoulders raised, “Uh, I guess I should hit the hay.”

“Okay,” She replied, her voice creeping up an octave as she suppressed her smile, he was so cute when he was trying to get in her pants.

“But If you need anything, you just call me.”

Scully nodded, “I can’t imagine that I will.”  She didn’t break eye contact to enforce that she was indeed serious. Their inability to keep their hands off each other had gone on long enough.

His head tilted back in a reverse nod, the rejection stung, but as he left the room he felt their pull, their connection drawing him, calling, and he decided to play her cat and mouse game. They spoke in wavelengths, not in sound. So he leaned quietly against the door and waited. Waited for her like he always did.

She could hear the faint sounds of his television. She expected him to come back, to try again. Mulder never gave up, yet the door didn’t open. As she finished zipping up her overnight bag, it made her heart want and it made her insides ache. Being with Mulder, after all was the greatest ride of her life. What the hell, maybe it was wrong what they were doing or maybe it was more right than ever, but when it came to him, she was weak. And last night made her want a repeat. As the memory of him inside her shot through her, she thought, no, she couldn’t imagine,  “But then again, it’s not out of the realm of extreme possibility” she spoke to an empty room, taking bigger steps, hoping to catch him before he drifted off. She swung open the door, only to find him at the other end. The look on his face sent an ache through her that made her clench with desire as fireworks cascaded inside her chest. She touched her hand to his face and he led her to the bed. Slowly they began the process of removing each other’s clothes as they exchanged light kisses. She felt somewhat emotionally exposed in front of him, but she could feel inside he was the same way. Last night they had reopened their lines of communication, not just talking, but in a physical way and it was now something that only the two of them knew. She and Mulder had hearts that had never been touched by and souls never joined to another. “I haven’t ever stopped thinking about you Mulder.” she said as he took her in his strong bulging arms.

“Scully, when I think about last night…,” he snickered, “I’m having trouble thinking about much else.” As their lips touched, the electricity it let off almost created light. Sparks flew behind her lids, her chest exploded. Scully’s hands covered his chest, her lips hungry against his skin, she could feel his heart thundering. His arms dropped down her back as he buried his face in her neck. Her body became pliable under his touch, and pleasure burned inside her. Once underneath the covers Mulder took the opportunity to hold her tight and she felt the power of their friendship in his arms. The years were explanation enough. Eventually their lips found each other again, his head tilting to one side, his mouth parted as his tongue moved against hers in a tangled embrace. He knew how to kiss her, when to deepen that kiss, when to wrap his legs around her and press himself against her so that she could forget everything else in the world. She felt his cock tracing her thighs growing harder as her heart melted, He pulled her on top of him watching her as she rode. His cock pulsing every time her insides spasmed around it. The hard command of his body sent jolts of desire straight through her, and she tightened again. He pulled himself into a seated position so they could kiss as she moved with him inside her. It was his eyes that penetrated her, the way they worshiped her.  His eyes brought her to orgasm, and as he thrusted deep inside her, the pleasure was so great it bordered on painful. She screamed and it only egged him on, forcing another orgasm to build before the other finished washing over her. She held tight to his neck as her full body stroked his cock.  She could feel him growing more rigid inside her and she knew he was close too. The building was intense and she had not even partially recovered from the first. Uncontrollably she yelled into his neck, “God, I’m going to come again.”

Mulder’s full body tightened and he cried out her name. The second one hit and every nerve ending in her body sparked, her muscles clenching and releasing in quick succession as she came hard around him, his own orgasm pumping steadily into her.

She rested her head on his shoulder as he remained inside her, silently he stroked her hair, holding her tightly.  

When he did speak it was just above a whisper, “You know, that didn’t take as long as I thought it would. We could take a quick 30 minute nap, maybe try again?”

She lifted her head and cocked it back so she could look at him. The man was insatiable, but then again with Mulder, so was she. “Maybe.”


	9. The Fourth Wall Pt. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder & Scully review "The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat". Then they philosophize on the season as a whole and Scully's rightful place in the universe.

Scully walked from the kitchen and placed Mulder’s cup down on the coffee table while drinking some of her own. Mulder held the cup up curiously, “Scully, where did you get these cups? Mine’s changing colors and pictures like it’s a can of Coor’s light.”

“They’re mood cups. They change when you put cold or hot liquids in them. Kind of like those Freezy Freaky gloves we had when we were kids.”

  
“I can’t say I remember any of that.” Mulder drank from the cup and made a face, “What is this stuff? it’s awful.”

“Just ordinary fruit punch.”

“Why does it taste like that? I love fruit punch.”

“When was the last time you drank fruit punch Mulder?”

“I don’t know. Maybe 14 years old?”

“Maybe your tastebuds changed.” Scully finally noticed Mulder playing with what looked like a G.I. Joe action figure. “What is that Mulder?”

“This? I found it while looking through VCR tapes. It’s Johnny Switchblade. I used to love this doll.”

“I had Johnny Switchblade Adventure Punk. He knifed Ken and took Barbie out once in a while on his motorcycle.”

Mulder smiled. “Yeah, I’d play with this and my bag o’ glass for hours.”

“Okay stop.” Scully remarked.

“What?” Mulder asked innocently.

“We’re not doing this. That is from an old SNL skit.”

“No it’s not it’s from..”

  
“Stop. Please stop.”

Mulder sighed and put away the toys, getting himself comfortable on the couch. “So, where do you want to start with this episode?”

“Let’s start with the bad. There was really no action on our part, I really didn’t have that many lines, and most of it takes place in a parking garage. And if anyone wasn’t in the mood for political commentary, they were out of luck…”

“Okay… what was the best line of the episode…”

“Believe it or not? You when you yelled at me, ‘Do you even know me?’ That, was my favorite.”

“I couldn’t pick just one…” Mulder replied pulling Scully into him, positioning himself behind her so he could wrap his legs and arms around her as she leaned on his chest facing the television. “What about all those callbacks and references. I couldn’t get enough of the Spotnitz Sanitarium or the fact that I had my old London Fog trench coat back.”

“And an ugly tie. Was He is They a reference to She is Me?”

“Who knows with Darin. I mean the man offed himself in his own episode. But we did get one awesome bit of nostalgia…”

“Chuck” They both announced in unison.

“Yup. He was the owner of the vintage shop,” Scully smiled.

“Was Elvis an alien? Maybe he was taken by the aliens and they stole his clothes?”

Scully ignored the question and played with Mulder’s hand, threading his fingers with her own. “So, what was the message? What did you take away from the episode?”

Mulder ran a hand through her hair and kissed the top of her head. “Well, the political stuff was obvious, the references from everything to toys, to old movies and cartoons, to the x-files themselves was too numerous to count… but as far as The Truth? We’re still out there fighting for truth and justice, but the younger agents view us as not living up to the legend and they’ve moved on claiming to have solved those problems and are on to bigger and better things. And what am I doing? Beating my chest about being the creator of it all as if that still has merit to anyone. No one cares about that anymore. And The Truth, it has become so convoluted that it almost isn’t necessary. The closest thing to the truth in that episode was me going for a walk in the woods away from it all. So, does anyone really care? Does the conspiracy even matter? Did anyone even care that the unremarkable house was partly my old apartment or that it led to the watergate parking garage or that they filmed a whole scene without disguising that Washington D.C. was in Vancouver?  All those statues quietly mocking me.  Our inaccurate memories being the least we can rely on…”

“So if none of that mattered and the truth is so well hidden among the lies that reality is almost intangible, and your search is over because now you have the cookbook of answers…. Where do we go from here, what matters?”

Mulder gave her a squeeze. “We matter Scully. In the end, it wasn’t the missing Twilight Zone episode or if your cancerous Goop was good, or our recent obsession with taint, alien butts, and uranus. It was the memories of where we were and what we were doing when it happened that made it worth it. Let me put it another way.. Does anyone really care what we are doing in Season 11 of the x-files? Is everyone tuning in to see if we find the truth or do they want to see if we find each other? The most important thing about the x-files appears to have become our relationship, our bond and connection, and if we kissed or were flirting or did we have sex... The whole episode of My Struggle III was pretty much a lie. CSM taking credit for every conspiracy known to man, saying the moon landing was a fake, or adding in some weird housekeeper, and we’re not going to talk about William.  “This” was a good episode, but the bones of the story was flimsy, not believable how we scurried about that secure facility, or the conclusion. Maybe that was done purposefully. But what made it good? We were together the entire episode, joking and bantering, tied together and laughing, having a good time. That’s what people wanted to see, the plot was secondary or possibly irrelevant. “Plus One”, Karin should win something for that episode, but did we really care about the doppelgangers or the plot or did we keep replaying the scenes leading up to Mulder and Scully having sex - TWICE!  What does Thisman appearing in every episode mean? Are we in a parallel universe or a dream state either on that alien spacecraft at the end of Season 10 or Scully’s vision? Does any of that matter? No. not really.”

Mulder snuggled against Scully bringing her in closer to remove any gaps between them. “Remember what you want to remember and the way you want to remember it. Maybe it’s not the best idea to rewatch your favorite I Love Lucy episode to realize Ricky's suppression of Lucy, that they were all bigots, that in one episode Ricky actually beat Lucy like a conga drum.  Or rewatching those old shows and not understanding how we ever sat through one episode of The Brady Bunch given how boring or corny it was. Or that in an x-files episode, me saying I was turned on by you because of your knowledge of the aircraft that was sunken next to the Piper Maru. Everyone was so excited about me getting turned on by you that they ignored the fact that I was being sexist, belittling, out of line, and possibly harassing. But that’s commentary on nostalgia…” Mulder scratched his head, “Where were we? Yes, in the end all anyone really cares about is us together and happy. That is the only truth they want. The plot and the accuracy, believability, everything else is secondary….”

“So, where does that leave us?” Scully asked leaning back to look at Mulder.

“Well, in Darin’s episode, on a couch, gazing into each other’s eyes sharing our love, affection, and admiration for one another… and they both lived happily ever after.”

“Okay,” Scully interrupted, “but what about the series. If that’s the most important part of the series, where does that leave us?”

“Well, the end of “Babylon” is where we supposedly addressed our communication issues and things sort of softened between us. MS2 & MS3 we decidedly didn’t care about anyone but each other. Then in “This” we spent 24 hours a day with each other living in our home and getting our groove back. “Plus One” we have sex...twice..”  
Scully stopped him, “Okay, let’s backtrack. Once and for all… what the hell was that conversation?”

“You tell me Scully. You broke up with me. I want to be with you. I’ve always wanted to be with you. My part is simple. I’m the believer, I believe in us. I’m committed to us. Always have been. I’m very happy as long as we’re together uncovering truths, spending time together and having sex is really a good bonus. We already know my side of things, so what happened last week? What was your side?”

“I think it starts with the mother of all evil - Judy. Which is a direct Twin Peaks reference, and given it’s the x-files, it fits perfectly. So Judy planted a seed in my head. A seed to fester from within. Remember, the darkness can only get you if you’re vulnerable. So what is my greatest fear? It’s losing you Mulder. So what do I do when I’m confronted, when I am vulnerable, I go to the one person in the world that can save me from myself. The one person in the world that holds my truths, that is my touchstone. I go to you, Mulder. That’s why I ask you about my physical attractiveness. Then I come to you again. The case had gotten under my skin, but the fears and the questions I had in bed when I got down to it was what happens if you meet someone else? I broke up with you. The only thing holding us together now is the x-files and they seem to be becoming quickly irrelevant. I want to know if we retired, will I see you? What would that look like? It evolved into a baby conversation, but the original question, the fear that was causing my shadow self to linger on the threshold was all about you Mulder. I have a lot of insecurities about moving on, being with someone else, and a true fear of winding up alone while everyone moves on and has lives, including you. So, I turn to you, and reach for that security, because I don’t want to lose you. So we fall into each other’s arms, to squash those insecurities, because I’m not ready to let go of you or what we have. Now CSM did say he was going to force me to make a choice between you and William. I chose you the first time I had that choice to make. What will happen this time?”

 

Mulder kissed her cheek, “The thought of us seeing other people and not being with each other greatly upsets me Scully.”

 

“Mulder, anyone, who has ever shown interest in us, has died in the end including the newest doppelgangers. Someone else just doesn’t work. It never has. So where does that leave the future? For now that’s an open-ended question. There’s another part of this season that is haunting me. Another important truth that affects all of humanity. The same truth that has to do with the very core of who I am.  I’m the skeptic. In a way, I’ve never committed completely to any unproven belief and I’ve paid the price for my skepticism. I’m now in what I perceive is the twilight of my existence and what do I have to show for it? We never raised children. Never enjoyed the stereotypical “family life”. What about my career, my legacy? I don’t have a desk or a nameplate on a door.  And where will it leave me, but alone and you probably leading a life with someone else. I’m still afraid to believe no matter how far I've come. I hide behind your name on the desk and on the door because I won’t fully commit to the idea that I belong down in the basement. That my purpose wasn’t just to put the x-files through the test of science, but because I am the x-file. Your name is on the door, but my name is on the file.  Think about all those cases in the past that have to do with religion. In almost all of them, I have visions, I possess psychic powers, I can see what others can’t. I’m not the key to the truth, I am the truth and I keep hiding from that fact. I am CSM and Nietzsche's Ubermensch and I created William. If I finally accept this then I’m the one meant to save everyone, but I'm also the one people will fear. I’m the one they will point at as insane, as not normal. You take the brunt of all of that criticism. I would also have to admit to myself that some of what has happened to me has been either suppressed or erased from my memory. I hide it all behind your name until I can’t. Until I become forced to come face to face with the truth. I can’t completely commit because if I do… then I have to admit something I’ve held deep inside practically my whole life…”

“That you are the prophecy that was first discussed in Season 3 “Revelations”,” Mulder blurted out in a low monotone voice.

Scully blinked. He had said it so quickly and bluntly. Like he had known all along and had been waiting all these years for her to be ready to say it. “Yes, and maybe I was picked for this prophecy long ago… even before my abduction?...remember, they picked me for the x-files…possibly back as far as the 70's?...was I born this way?... maybe William and I have a connection that was planned from the start. Maybe that’s what CSM was referring to..”

 

Mulder could see the fear stirring in her eyes and quickly changed the subject, “Okay, so, back to the most important part of the show. Where does that leave us in our relationship and when do we kiss?”

Scully smiled at the sudden change of tempo. The rest of that discussion could wait for next week. “Well, we had sex last week and apparently this week we are dating. Going out to dinner, getting sidetracked into staking out parking garages...but dating nonetheless…”

“That’s a good direction Scully.”

“It is Mulder.. And I was thinking maybe we can go upstairs right now and relive some of those memories…”

Scully grabbed Mulder’s hand and he followed her up the stairs, “...and create some really great new ones…”

 


	10. The Fourth Wall Pt. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim Wong delivered as I had hoped and I assume his next episode later down the line will be even better. If I had two critiques, it might be that I disagree with straying from them as a trio. Then again, Carter won't even see them as a romantic duo, so maybe a family is too far fetched, but I believe good writing and directing could have pulled off having them as a family and foregoing all the forced angst of the MSR that we've seen since IWTB. To me, that would have been more groundbreaking. Anyway, my opinions worth nothing and we're stuck with only a glimmer of what could have been for now. One question I have is when do we get to see Mulder's emotions? We've never been able to see his breakdown and feelings even if we know what they are. He is staying strong for Scully, but even if it's a moment in private, he needs to get his day. BTW, totally Mulder's son between the stuff in the room and the forehead leaning. And one last thing, the Emmy, very derservingly, goes to Gillian Anderson... I'm still in recovery....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The trolls are very quick to remind you that these are fictional characters, but I believe they do become real as they live inside us and what they grow to mean to us. They got us to think and relate with our own lives and share with strangers, friends, and family. They are our comfort when we need to stray from our own realities or when they give us opportunity to enhance and enrich our world. In order to write them, you must become them in a way and let them share your consciousness. I'm enjoying the gift of having it all unfold on my television screen and getting a chance to share it with the others out there. The trolls are really serving up some punches ridiculing fanfiction, but if it's so awful why are there so many of us reading it, including the same trolls? Anyway, I'm going to shutup and finish this bottle of wine and let Mulder and Scully take over.

Mulder turned off the television. His eyes partially glazed over. The two of them sat staring at the black screen until his voice cut open the silence and allowed the tension to breathe.

“They’re on to us Scully.  It’s part of a grand conspiracy. They’ve been spying on us, monitoring us. The message boards and fan fiction from long ago up until today.  They know it all.”

“Mulder, what are you talking about?” Scully asked looking at him in disbelief.

“They even know about Bob.” Mulder replied with wide eyes.

“What about Bob, Mulder?”

“They know Scully about the nickname of my most notable appendage. They seem to know everything and they’re screaming it loud and clear in every episode. They’ve been listening all those years...”

“Mulder, I know you’re trying to lighten the mood to get me out of my head. Not tonight,” Scully answered shortly with a stern look  and got up from the couch. Her eyes watered as she headed upstairs. 

When she reached her bedroom closet William was already there. Her big cardboard box was open. Her many journals scattered all around him as he sat on the floor reading one intently. Without looking up at his mother he answered her, “I felt your thoughts and I came here to see for myself.  I needed to see your words.”

Scully stood silently above him as he read. He went through the journal and tears fell on the pages like a splattering of stars. The last page was addressed to him and it read:

William,

When you were born I was witness to your soul’s divine spark. We both watched as it awakened in your eyes. No matter how far apart you believe we may become, we know the real you, the one inside, the one that is our son. Though we’ve had to overcome a mountain of sickening fears about what brought you into this world or what they may have done to you, you must know that we will protect you until the very last vestige of strength leaves our bodies. Being our son means something and we will make every attempt to stand between you and danger shall it come your way. Our love will never leave you. Your father and I will age, but the love we have in our hearts will remain eternal. Never think for once that you are not worthy of our love. It lives within your existence and it is something you will never have to earn or prove. Whatever challenges you face and whatever parts of you must hide inside a shell, be aware we know your gentle soul. 

My son there will be men that will try to use you as a pawn in their sick battle. They underestimate my love and your father’s love for you. That is their mistake to make, for you are not a sacrifice. If they bring you pain, if they hurt you, there will be no forgiveness or leniency. Not from me.  Not from your father. They cover up their lies and abuse on the backs of the young and the unwilling. They will never stand up or be accountable for their indiscretions. I’m uncertain if they could even be considered sentient beings. Good people stand up for the truth and sacrifice only themselves. If I must choose between the world and you, though I love this world with every fiber of my being, you mean more. Our love for you means more. I refuse to acknowledge and will remain the forever skeptic that you, my child, could ever be part of a devil’s spawn and I must continue to believe and pray that you were our gift, our miracle from God. You will always remain forever in our hearts and part of our soul.

Love Always,

Mom & Dad  

 

William looked up at his mother with tears still in his eyes and stood. His forehead pressed against hers as he laid both hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes with heaving breaths, “I love you too mom.” 

Tears streamed down Scully’s face as they embraced and she held him tight, his t-shirt soaked by her tears.

Mulder appeared behind them, his misty eyes a bloodshot red and in a soft monotone voice he asked, “Everything okay up here?”

William pulled away from his mom and dried his eyes. “Yeah, I was just telling mom we should go get some ice cream. I got my first paycheck from my job today and I thought we could celebrate. My treat.” He looked at his dad with a weak smile.

Mulder returned his smile and pulled him in giving him a big hug.

“I’m very proud of you,” he said as he pulled away and mussed William’s hair with his hand. William smiled in return. 

As they made their way downstairs as a family, William asked, “Hey dad, are you going to my baseball game on Saturday?”

“I haven’t missed one yet,” Mulder answered, “I want to see you use that curveball we’ve been practicing in the backyard...”

As the two continued on their conversation in the SUV, Scully started the car and as she laid her hand across the gear shift, looked over at her two men and smiled. What she saw was the culmination of her and Mulder’s unbreakable bond. Their love, their friendship, the fate of a journey they chose together. Much more than any three dimensional world and infinitely more complex, Mulder, Scully, and William were the trinity of that love. Scully reached out and caressed Mulder’s arm and he stopped the conversation to lean over and press his lips against her own, gently stroking her face, both of them smiling, acknowledging the blessing. Scully took a deep breath and gathered herself while Mulder returned his attention to William. Scully set the car in drive and the trio followed the beam from the headlights into the night.


	11. Skinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First part of the chapter discusses William's origins. Then Skinner and Scully go back to his place.

“I’m confused. What’s the difference between a hybrid and a chimera and what’s the connection to William?” Skinner asked Scully while they drove home from dinner.

“A hybrid is a combining of genes to create something new, but within the same species. You, in essence are a hybrid of your parents. A chimera is two separate species forming one functioning body, yet they still stay distinct. The chromosomes act apart from each other even though they are sharing the same body. An organism that is a chimera could contain two blood types or have two distinct eye colors. That’s how a human ear could grow on a frog’s back.”

“So how does all this relate to William and why is that important?”

“Well, if William is a hybrid, that would mean he is an alien. A new subset of the species. His parental lineage could be shared with aliens. If he is a chimera, that would mean Mulder and I are the parents and a separate alien species is living inside his body, forming one functioning body yet staying distinct. The CSM could very well be considered the father of that species, although some aliens may have a problem with that.”

“So what are you? If you have alien DNA, could you have passed it along to William?”

“Well, I thought that was where William got it from and it’s still possible. As for whether my alien DNA is a hybrid or chimera still remains to be seen. The necessary tests have not been formed, but my previous tests that I took during my bought with cancer showed that I have the alien virus inside me. That virus is what prevents me from getting sick as it attacks all other possible viral or bacterial hosts. So I would be considered a chimera and not a hybrid. Could I have passed that along to my son? It’s possible.”  

“So where does that leave Mulder?”

“Mulder is the father of my child. I tested William’s DNA when he was born. Out of all sense and logic, with all my fears of what or how, that was the first thing I did. That’s why I named him after Mulder’s father and that’s why he became “our” son. Not to underplay Mulder’s commitment to me. I believe Mulder would consider him our son no matter what genes he carried. When Jeffrey Spender came to inject William with magnetite and kill the alien virus inside him, it proved a couple things. One, he believed William to be a chimera. Two, he was not hybrid or a supersoldier or else he would have died from the injection. Unless, William is a whole new race of human/alien that was immune to the magnetite. Also, when everyone suspected Jeffrey to be Mulder, I had Mulder’s DNA on file to check against Jeffrey’s DNA. Those results proved two things: I had already compared William’s DNA to Mulder’s(that’s why I had it on file) and Jeffrey was truly his half brother meaning CSM was truly Mulder’s biological father. So unless someone is going back and erasing the past, these are the clear facts. In addition, it is possible with a DNA test to determine the difference between CSM and Mulder being the father if that was a question. Mulder is William’s father. Is this all as clear as mud for you?”

“I hear you, but I don’t know if I totally understand.” Skinner reached for Scully’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I had a really good time tonight Dana,” Skinner smiled as he looked into her eyes. They were in his car after a quiet relaxing dinner and the look on his face was causing her heart to do double time.  She imagined closing the deal had never been a difficult task for Skinner.  The direct approach served him well, but she could tell tonight was harder for him to get the words out. Besides regarding each other as close friends, they had denied their feelings for so long she didn’t know if they could ever get past it.  In the back of her mind she knew Mulder would be hurt, but even so she found herself in Skinner’s car, alone with him. With Skinner there would be no more running, no more craziness and no obsessions.   He wouldn’t disappear on her in the middle of the night or have to deal with their hurt over William. As if reading her mind, he pulled her into him and she leaned into the kiss. It was rougher than Mulder’s, his lips tighter. His forwardness was unexpected, but welcomed. His lips playing on her self control, but she felt her reservations when he dropped his hand to rest on her thigh.  He pulled back and asked the question she didn’t want to hear. “Is everything okay?”

She looked down at the floor.

“It’s Mulder. Isn’t it?”

“It’s not right to do this behind his back.”

”This is about what you want, not him. You and Mulder have not been together for a long time. So what is it that you want?”

“I want.. I need to move on with my life… Even if it’s not what’s best for him… maybe it’s what’s best for me…”

“I can give you everything he can’t Dana.” He pulled her into him and kissed her hard, growing pleasure rose from deep within her. His movements purposeful, practical. Skinner didn’t have hesitation. He knew what he wanted and he knew how to get it and just as she fell to his graces he pulled his lips from hers.

“Let’s go back to my place,” He said in his deep gruff voice. “We could get something to drink and talk inside something besides a dark sedan.”

Scully nodded and he continued their drive. “Dana life with me could be so different. It doesn’t have to be a constant struggle….I could give you a happy home..”

“Walter…” Scully let out in a whisper taking his hand. What were they doing and what if Mulder was to find out?

“I know Mulder couldn’t have treated you like you deserve. Dana, you deserve lavish gifts and michelin star restaurants. Mulder walks around with his head up his ass. He knew what he had in you, but he hadn’t a clue how to hold onto it.”

They pulled up to a parking space two spots from Skinner’s apartment. It had started to rain. Skinner got out and opened the umbrella before stepping to the other side and opening the door for Scully holding his hand out for her.

Once inside he opened up some wine and they stood by the kitchen island, his eyes not leaving her. “Dana what is it you want? Where are you looking for your life to go?”

“That is the million dollar question,” Scully agreed through sips of wine, “I want a life, one away from conspiracies, to go home to a family and not have to worry about who or what is coming to take that away from me.”

Skinner walked around to the other side of the island to face her, leaving his glass on the speckled granite. “Then don’t go back to him….stay with me.”

Cradling her head in his hands, he pulled her in, searching her mouth, tasting her, taking all he could before she changed her mind. Before she remembered the reasons why they shouldn’t be doing this. His tongue slid over hers as he dove deeper, needing more, needing her. As her hands wrapped around his neck and pulled him to her the realization struck him that this was actually happening. This was Dana Scully losing herself in his kiss, Dana’s fiery locks he was wrapping around his fingers, and Dana’s chest pressed up against his. His hands drew her tighter against him as he kissed her as deeply and thoroughly as he could. Making love to her mouth and feeling too much as things he couldn’t afford to feel came rushing to the surface. Mulder was like a younger brother to him. Maybe this wasn’t right.  

“Dana,” he breathed attempting to bring them back to their senses.

“I know,” she whispered against his lips.

“This isn’t right. You should be working things out with him first...You..you have to stop us,” Skinner pleaded, his lips still grazing hers, his hands on her ass, pulling her against him, then sliding up her back.

“I.. I don’t think I can stop.” Scully replied, moving her hips against his erection as his hands continued to roam over her body. Scully took a shaky breath as her fingers danced along his chest. “I can’t, Walter,” she said. “I know I should stop, but I..” Her lips pressed against his cheek, breaking her self-control and sending her lips just below his ear. “I can’t stop touching you,” she breathed. Her hands slid to his shoulders, moving slowly, as if she was memorizing the way he felt under her fingers. As his lips continued their trail along her skin, all the way down her throat, he felt her breath quicken and her hands start to tremble. He was screwed. There was no stopping once he got to where he was going next. And his last remaining thoughts of doing the right thing quickly faded as she leaned back just enough for his lips to find the top of her breasts. His hands came up to cup her breast and his mouth landed against the exposed cleavage inside. He growled against her skin, unbuttoning the next button so that he could passionately kiss her left breast and unhook the front latch of her bra. He needed skin. God, he needed skin, as she clutched his head to her chest and her hips kept driving him mad with their slow pulse against him. He peeled the fabric away one button at a time and took a nipple into his mouth.

“Oh, God,” she cried, gasping in several breaths as he sucked on one and rolled the other between his fingers. Her hips pressed harder against him and he was about to burst through his zipper. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Skinner quickly retrieved it for her, saw Mulder’s name and slung it to the other side of the room. Mulder was too late. Nothing was more important than what was under his hands. When she yanked his shirt over his head, he knew he was done for. “Hold on,” he said wrapping an arm around her he lifted her up, her leg naturally falling around his hips, he carried her to the bedroom as he kissed her, flipping her onto the bed so that she was lying on her back. He stripped off the rest of his clothes watching her remove hers before stopping to look into her baby blues. “Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?” he asked giving her a possible out.

Scully shook her head, reaching for him. Her eyes burned into him with a look he hadn’t seen in years. Something beyond lust and need.

“I don’t care,” she said, pulling his body to hers. He glided on top of her, skin to skin, mouth to mouth. The cross around her neck searing into his chest. She was driving him mad, and his free hand cupped her ass as he pushed himself hard between her legs, their mouths moving to the same rhythm.  It was rough and insane. This was Scully. They couldn’t do this. They couldn’t...but God, he needed her. He needed Scully like he had never needed anyone in his life. Skinner reached for the condom on the nightstand and ripped it open.

Scully didn’t believe it mattered that any of it was smart or right. It was happening. It was happening since the second she’d kissed him. Since the moment he had opened the car door for her and she had followed him to his house. Since he had invited her to dinner last night. Since the other day when they sat on opposite sides of his desk sharing a gaze that Mulder, only feet away in the accompanying chair, was not privy to.  This was happening.  His mouth on hers was intoxicating, and she couldn’t get enough of it. Couldn’t get enough of the feel of his body under her hands. Of his mouth on her skin. Of his eyes on her when he’d stop and take her in. And now he was...oh, God... she felt him moving down her body, kissing his way down. Were they really doing this?  “Oh, God, Walter,” she breathed as his mouth followed his hands, pausing where she needed him to, just enough to tease her into a shaking mess.  She couldn’t breathe as she watched him drag his gaze up her body to finally stop at her eyes.

“Dana,” he croaked. Tears sprung to her eyes at the intimacy of the word. It was a question, she knew it was a question. She knew it should be a real and serious question. But there wasn’t one. Not in her mind. She didn’t even want the space that was currently between them. Everything that they’d have to face afterward, she would face. All the reasons ringing at the back of her mind for why she shouldn’t do this would still be there later. But right at that moment in his bed with his deep brooding eyes penetrating her, all she wanted was Skinner. She wanted to be in his arms and everything else that meant. She raised up and pulled his face back to her, kissing him with all she had, letting her hands roam his body the way his were on hers. Letting him know just how clear her answer was. She ran her hands past his abs, past the light brown thatch of hair, making him groan as she held him in her hands. He was not as thick as Mulder, more like a bullet than Mulder’s perfect arrow, but comparably as long.

“Walter,” she said against his neck.  His fingers found her, making her whole body spasm. “Please,” she begged. God, when had she ever begged a man to take her? To touch her. His whole face changed at the request. Even in the near darkness, she saw it. The look that kept clawing at her heart. And as his lips landed on hers again, he entered her. Growling her name into her mouth. The sounds she heard come from her own throat weren’t discernible words, just babbled ecstasy. She wrapped her legs around Skinner and took all that he had. She held his face as he moved inside her. As they moved together like a dance, perfectly synced, mouths finding each other to capture gasps between kisses. Slow then fast. Easy then rough. Filling her up as he lifted her legs higher. Never taking his eyes from hers. It was simple. It was basic. It was primal, and it was the hottest, sexiest thing she’d ever experienced, even counting all the times with Mulder. The way he held eye contact with her as he drove into her body, whispering her name, driving them higher and higher, filled her eyes with a burn she couldn’t contain as lightning flashed outside his window and she arched into a rocket launch of an orgasm. She screamed his name, over and over, as her nails dug into his skin, and her body convulsed around him. “Dana,” he groaned. “God, Dana, your beau—God!” he yelled through his teeth, his whole body tensing as a crash of thunder outside the window matched his roar. Pounding harder, yelling with each thrust until there was nothing left of him. Scully wrapped her whole self around him, clinging to his body as he clung to her, both of them shaking. The world could have been ending, but she didn’t want to let go to find out. She didn’t want to let go at all.

Skinner didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to pull away and look at her. Didn’t want to talk. He didn’t want anything to mess with the moment they’d just had. He wanted to stay right there, intertwined with Dana Scully forever. But he knew tomorrow reality was about to come crashing down. Problem was, a whole different reality had crashed in on him tonight. One he was going to pay a huge price for. Somebody had to take the first step, so he lifted his head and met her eyes, a little afraid of what he might see.

“Hey,” he said. Skinner’s hands still framed her head, and he caressed her forehead with his thumbs, trying to read her eyes. Trying to see regret or horror or sadness in there somewhere. Instead, he saw a fierceness. “Don’t you dare be sorry,” were the first words from her mouth.

He shook his head. “I’m not. I would only be sorry if it ruined something between us.” He paused. “I don’t regret one second. This, what we have right here, is as good as life has ever gotten for me..”

Scully got up from the bed and headed towards the bathroom, she could hear her phone buzzing on the floor in the living room. As she finished getting dressed she wandered into the living room and picked it up. In solid block letters a single name lit up- Mulder.


	12. The Fourth Wall Pt. 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder and Scully review "Kitten".

Scully was on the couch cleaning her glock when Mulder sat down next to her. “What’s tonight Scully? Do we get to do a “Plus One” repeat?” Mulder smirked.

“No,” Scully replied her eyes remaining on her gun, “Tonight is Skinner’s night. We’re watching “Kitten” It’s about his buddies from Vietnam.”

“Kitten? Why Kitten?” Mulder inquired curiously.

“It’s a nickname.”

“Please tell me it is Skinner’s. I’m puppy and he’s kitten.” Mulder smiled gleefully.

“No such luck,” Scully commented still not amused, “Skinner’s nickname is eagle.”

“Why Eagle?” Mulder asked confused, “Skinner wasn’t bald in Vietnam.”

“Maybe he was called Eagle for a different reason,” Scully offered. “Maybe because it is the chief over all winged creatures flying higher than any other bird and stands out by not mixing with any other birds, but following its own path.”

“See and I thought it was because he liked fish.” Mulder mused.

Scully placed her gun back in its holster, “Let’s just watch the episode.”

They both turned their sights to the television and Scully commented, “Oh, Kersh is in this one. Kersh turned out to be a pretty decent guy. Springing you from the military prison and risking his neck like that.”

“Yeah, so why is he acting like none of that ever happened? Are you sure this isn’t another universe? You know Scully, we are like the dreamers that dream and then live inside that dream..”

“David Lynch?” Scully offered.

“Well, yeah, Twin Peaks, but it’s actually from Upanishads. It’s a collection of Indian texts that contain the seeds of both Hinduism and Buddhism.”

“Okay. Mulder can we please ease up on the multiverses and Dr. They and William augmenting reality?”

Mulder sensed her annoyance. “Imaginary truths? Maybe CSM did some kind of memory swipe on Kersh or something? Check the back of his neck for bumps.”

“Or maybe they just wanted to put in some nostalgia and do a short cameo.”

Now Mulder was annoyed. He crossed his arms. “Okay, fine. Just retcon everything.”

Mulder cracked open his beer and one for Scully and handed it to her in which she gratefully accepted. “Scully you ever notice how much more communicative gazing we’ve been doing in these episodes. Like, we can’t keep our eyes off each other. Especially with other people around. When we went on the run we really did isolate ourselves and not just about the technological age, but also with other humans. It’s like we’re the only two people on the planet and everyone else is a different species. We’ve perfected reading each other’s minds. We may just have exceeded Gibson level mind reading with one another.”

“Yes. I’ve noticed that as well. It’s scary in a way. Like we’ve really become one person and everyone else is backdrop.” Mulder liked the idea of them as one and reached for her free hand intertwining it with his own.

“Skinner’s apartment hallway is very claustrophobic,” Mulder said.

“I like how they are stringing all the MOW episodes together, still mentioning William and building an arc concerning our strange relationship through the weeks.”

“Hmmm, ” was Mulder’s only comment until he saw himself opening Skinner’s apartment door, “Hey, look Scully, I still have skills with a stickpin.”

Mulder smiled, “Although we haven’t seen ThisMan in a while, we still haven’t had a MOW episode go by without some kind of reference to someone’s posterior. Be it an aliens’, a taint, or Skinner’s moderate to severe constipation. I fear for the writing staff and their obsessions..”

“Yeah, while I love our moderate to severe flirtations, I could have done without the “juices” comment,” Scully added. “Let’s take a shot, I said medical doctor.”

“Yes, but you didn’t say ‘I’m a medical doctor’,” Mulder corrected.

“I’m taking the shot anyway,” Scully said and downed a shot of whiskey chasing it with her beer.

“Suit yourself,” Mulder shrugged and then put an arm around her squeezing her shoulder as the scene came on of them in the morgue, “The sexiness of all your doctor terminology is not lost on me Scully.”

Scully countered, “Although, it seems your mind isn’t as photographic as it once was, I do find your factoids fairly attractive. Smart is sexy Mulder.”

She kissed his lips and Mulder smiled, “Should we pause this and go upstairs for some “shuteye”?”

Scully smiled back, “You really liked ‘Plus One’ didn’t you. No Mulder. Watch the show.”

Scully changed the subject, “Whatever happened to the dog I stole in season 10?”

“Maybe another alligator ate it? Or maybe…” Mulder held up his index finger in excitement.

“OMG, please with all that is holy, stop with the multiverse already. Although they are already canon...stop.”

“Woah, we get to see Skinner actually kill the ten year old boy he told me about in “One Breath.”

“I don’t recall that story,” Scully answered.

“That’s because you were in a coma floating in a boat while I was sleeping with vampires with your cross around my neck, screaming in hospitals, pointing my gun at everyone, crying my eyes out and basically completely falling apart. Skinner’s poignant story helped me through a very dark time.”

“Doing what with Vampires?” Scully frowned raising an eyebrow.

“Hey, I bought you Superstars of the Super Bowl,” Mulder reminded her.

Scully relaxed and rolled her eyes, “Yes, that’s right, my reason to live.”

“Sculleee. Sculleee,” Mulder said in a singsong voice.

“Yes, Mulder,” Scully replied not amused.

“I see dead people,” Mulder whispered suppressing his grin.

“Yeah, I’m sure noone ever says that to him.”

“That mother’s face was cut out just like the guy who killed himself in Demons,” Mulder noticed.

“Spooky,” Scully answered and drank from her beer.

“Pulling up in the dark woods with those LEDs it just looks like another bad Ford commercial,” Mulder looked disgusted, “And we finally figured how to get you to stop whispering your sentences, just blast some music. Notice it doesn’t phase me.”

“His name was Skinner in the photograph, maybe they nicknamed him later?” Scully wondered.

“They waited their time out until he was bald….”

“Wow Mulder, you’re right. We’ve always spoke to each other with our eyes, but we don’t even have to speak anymore, it’s like no one else is even in the room.”

“Or at least anyone else that matters…” Mulder realized he was just being silly now. Maybe two beers was enough.

“So, did he kill his mother and father and when and how did he go crazy?” Scully asked attempting to piece it all together.

Mulder thought about it and attempted a reasonable explanation, “Well, he was exposed to the gas too, maybe with his dad’s influence, he said he visited his dad, maybe he had unknown exposure to something there? It’s not certain if he killed his dad, he might have just strung up his dead body. Given the full dress I’d say his father killed himself. The pictures hint his mother killed herself, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he killed her or the father killed her. I like how Skinner pushes me out of harm’s way, so chivalrous. Skinner is going to try to boost me up. That’s over twelve feet of prime man meat forming that human ladder Scully.” Mulder wiggled his eyebrows, “And it’s sniper Scully to the rescue…. That shot of Skinner and me looking up at you in the trap sort of reminded me of Millenium when I was looking up at you inside a grave.”

Now it was Scully’s turn to smirk. She liked that memory. “Spreading rumors again Mulder?,” she quoted.

He smiled and looked seductively at her lips, “Hey, I got to kiss you when that was all over. You can’t beat that.”

Scully broke the tension and turned her sights back on the television, “Guess I wasn’t going for the kill shot if he got away.”

“Skinner tells us to run and go find Davey, but you know if it was me still in that pit you’d have stayed and helped me.”

“Yes, but then we wouldn’t get the dramatic finale.” Scully said and reached for another beer, “When did a wooden stake through the body turn into a superficial flesh wound?”

“Notice I’m making sure you’re only tending to his wounds and there isn’t any hand squeezing or rubbing of his baldness like you do through my hair… I like how he asks me a question and you answer. I’m telling you, we’re the same person now.”

Scully frowned, “Why is Skinner’s lack of upward mobility because of the x-files a surprise to anyone,” Scully lifted her eyebrows, “This is not a revelation, but it does lead to the heartwarming speech. Now I want all three of them to hug. Poor Skinner. It’s always been the three musketeers and we made him the third wheel. Us doubting Skinner for the hundredth time has been played to death. There could have been more in this episode about Skinner’s actual life.”

“You miss Reggie a little,” Mulder said seemingly out of the blue.

“A little, yeah,” Scully admitted, “We should actually visit him. I bet a lot of our friends wound up in the Spotnitz sanitarium.” Scully stopped her thought and threw up her hands, “So, we have Skinner isolated in the middle of the woods, wounded and nobody thinks to ask him point blank what the hell took place between him and the smoking man? Or did he already tell you on that ship in “ghouli” and you left that part out when you told me? Why wouldn’t the first thing I do be to ask him what he knows about William? Makes no sense.”

Mulder nodded, “In our early years we’d be interrogating him like a mofo…”

“We’re using old 90s terms now Mulder?”

“Yup…”

“You really love to be involved with the latest trends don’t you my bff,” Scully said mockingly.

“OMG, that’s totes old now, but yes I do and right back atcha bff.” Mulder said and squeezed her arm.

Scully directed her attention to the final scene. “And now I give you the look to let you know everything you need to make that last remark. Watch you give me that little nod in return.”

Mulder understood, he saw it too. “We may have become closer than any two human beings on the planet. Once again we speak as one. No need for you to say anything. “We’re with you.”

"The poison sprayed on the crops could be believable given our previous cases, but then the pan up to the chemtrails just shouldn’t have happened.”

“The next episode looks really good,” Scully said.

Mulder scrunches his face narrowing his eyebrows, “Yes, but my brain can’t get past one burning question, WHO THE HELL IS SCOTT, SCULLY, AND WHY IS HE COMING TO DINNER!?! Does ol’ Scotty boy need to spend some time down in the cellar?”


	13. Rever - Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder and Skinner read through @rever posts to see the clues it may hold to William's truth.

***Skinner’s apartment 3:34 PM****

“Scully didn’t want to come?” Skinner asked Mulder as Skinner booted up his laptop.

“No,” Mulder replied solemnly.

“Has he posted anything new?”

“No. He knows the sight is monitored now. He won’t unless there is a way for him to do it safely.”

Mulder took a seat next to Skinner and Skinner typed in Ghouli.net into the search.

“William is @rever?”

“Yes, the first post you see scrolling down from the top is titled, “You are the living key in a dying function.”

Mulder watched as Skinner read the post. “Remote viewing. Do you remember this incident that William is referring to? Is that Scully he was seeing? He knew Scully was his mother?”

“He at least knew he had a connection. We believe we know what William is referring to. An autopsy she performed. We believe it was early 2009. He was still seven, about to turn 8. It proves they always had this connection Skinner, albeit untapped.”

Skinner looked at Mulder almost afraid to ask the question, “Can Scully perform remote viewing?”

Mulder rubbed his face, “There were some incidents, when she was a child… maybe with her connection with me she did it unknowingly…”

“This is incredible,” Skinner looked at Mulder questionably. “But as a child, she didn’t have the chip…”

“Yeah, I know,” Mulder admitted, “I don’t know what that means either. There are many possibilities we can theorize…some that could explain more of this than others...”

Next they read through ‘This Screaming Skull’. Skinner looked away from the screen and noticed Mulder’s eyes were bloodshot and watery. It made Skinner’s heart go out to him. “He’s worried about his mother.”

“Yeah, what he’s experiencing sounds slightly different than Scully,” Mulder picked up a pencil and started to fidget, “but they both seem to be conduits. Either he has no control and randomly emits or Scully is or something or someone is causing this.”

“But who?”

“Could be anyone or thing. Alien, black oil, Smoking Man, the resistance, hell, maybe someone like Gibson Praise…”  

Next they scrolled to ‘Melt It said.’ “That photo reminds me of the Bandaid Man,” Mulder concluded. He looked at Skinner and explained, “He was a Tulpa. Also, the white mask, like the black plague or the symbolism of Ghouli as a mask..”

“What do you make of this?” Skinner asked pointing to the conversation with the floor and ceiling, “He has telepathy with inanimate objects? Is he describing a nuclear bomb exploding?”

“Either that or the rebel alien forces coming to exterminate him,” Mulder suggested, then added, “It could mean anything or nothing.”

The next headline read, ‘In the future we shall not thrive’. “This is Scully’s vision,” Skinner concluded and Mulder nodded in agreement.

“Dream Disease Apocalypse,” Skinner read out loud, “Nothing like some light thoughts for bedtime.”

“Aren’t they though,” Mulder smirked, “and the boy has my insomnia.”

Skinner stopped scrolling, “Mulder, this could have been written by you. He has your drive in there somewhere.”

“Yeah, but there’s a lot of other stuff in there too Skinner. We can only hope he finds his way. He has some indication of who he is and who he is meant to be.”

“Who do you believe is Knockout Mouse?”

“He may be the resistance, or an Alex Krycek type or maybe the scientist. He’s warning him about March 15th, like Julius Caesar his life may be in danger.”  

“Nothing lasts forever,” Skinner says to noone and kept reading. Mississippi Delta Waves is next. “I can see bits of you and Scully in his writing, in his empathy.”

“Yes,” Mulder agreed, “but you see something else too.” Skinner said nothing to the comment.

“What’s a Mobius strip?” Skinner asked Mulder.

“A twisted cylinder. They were used as conveyor belts and later continuous loop recording tapes to double the recording time. The infinity symbol is a mobius strip. The infinity of the dream is the tease. Scully had the same dream. She was in his house. They dreamed together, but couldn't see one another.”

4HOO AfterDark. “He knew he was put up for adoption at 10 months old,” Mulder cited, “And he questions why. He thinks it’s because he is abnormal. He doesn’t know it was for protection.”

“John Alden Drive, Paul Revere Road, Brewster Street, that’s Norfolk Virginia.” Skinner stated out loud.

“And he ran by the windmill of the gas station where we last saw him,” Mulder noted.

Skinner read on, “Two different blood types,” Skinner looked at Mulder worried, “That’s what Scully had explained to me was possible with chimera. Does that mean he has more than one mother? One father?”

Mulder only shook his head.

“Mulder, have you read this next post, 4H00. After Rust? William is very troubled, he’s fighting himself.”

“If this is true,” Mulder got up from his chair and paced, the pencil still in his left hand, he reached into his right pocket and pulled out a sunflower seed, “William is saying Scully was pregnant with two babies. Two babies inside her. Maybe, and this is a theory, one was human, one was alien or a hybrid. Scully and I were the parents of one and the other… who knows… but all those other cases of mothers that gave birth to aliens, none of them had lived. Dr. Parenti had told me that, but it’s not unheard of for one twin to consume the other in utero like described here if one of them is dying. Maybe that is why the supersoldiers came in the beginning to witness the birth, but when they saw he was human, the alien was dead, they left.”

“But how would William be able to consume an alien?” Skinner asked.

“I have an immunity to black oil. Remember when my wonderful biological father operated on my brain? Even though my body was having trouble handling it, the black oil was able to attach to my brain. I was one of a kind. William could have inherited my natural immunity and because of it was able to absorb the alien being which became part of him. Maybe that other baby was a hybrid, which would explain the blood types, lack of green blood. William is special because unlike all the others, he wasn’t created, experimented on in the womb, he was born that way. William seems to be a good kid. Troubled, but he still has parts of Scully and me inside him. He also has something else, and we don’t know how that is affecting him psychologically or the impact it has on the human part of him. Is there a separate alien consciousness living inside him? Is he schizophrenic, a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde? We just don’t know. What we do know is he has gone through a lot of tests in his lifetime both with regular doctors and other scientists. Who knows what effect that had. We’ve seen over and again violence and fragile psyches due to exposure to purity control.”

“Is Ghouli talking about an upcoming nuclear war? I thought we were discussing a virus? Is William capable of becoming that bomb?”

“Well, black oil emits radiation… William could be referring to that. The radiation, if high enough could kill everyone except aliens. We’ve seen someone infected with black oil do this in the past without harm to the host.” Mulder answered Skinner. “William could also be the answer to save us all.”

“Have you read Your Imploding Cells? William thinks he is what they need to begin the Spartan virus?” Skinner read on, “MK CHIKWIT. Project CHIKWIT? I’ve heard of Project CHIKWIT. Like MK NAOMI it followed MK ULTRA. It was chemicals used for experimentation on soldiers to monitor the effects it had on them. They were Searching for biological weapons to use against an enemy. Maybe CHIKWIT is somehow related to exposing the population to the Spartan virus.” Mulder shrugged, “Tad did mention that chemtrails were a key.”

“You see how this is written, They and Them? Dr. They and Dr. Them? They tested on William? After the exposure to the gas he felt rage and emotional outbursts.” Skinner highlighted portions of the blog, "Maybe Dr. They has something to do with his ability to hide reality?"

“Telekinesis, changing states of matter, super strength, maybe the Founder’s Mutation is somehow related to this? An offset?” Mulder mused to himself.

“Crawling Empty Full just goes through his account with the tarantula at 5 years old,” Skinner surmised.

“Reminded me of a time when I spoke to a cockroach in Massachusetts. The town had a cockroach infestation. I found myself talking to bugs, viewing them as possible aliens. Met a hot USDA woman named Bambi.” Mulder said with a smile and wiggled his eyebrows.

“Let me guess, nothing happened.” Skinner shook his head at Mulder’s predictability.

“Well, Scully came..”

Skinner interrupted. “I thought nothing was going on with you two back then.”

“There wasn’t, but you know how it is” Mulder smiled remembering how jealous Scully had gotten.

The look on Skinner's face showed that he did not at all know how it was. “But you and Scully were not together.”

Mulder looked at him dumbfounded, “Scully and I were always together.”

“So what do we make of all this?” Skinner asked powering down the laptop.

“We pull the thread.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Above were the major points that I got from the posts on the site. Am I way off? Did I miss something important?


	14. The Fourth Wall Pt. 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder and Scully review "Followers" (yeah, I'm not typing out that other mess)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I question my sanity with the way this show has so much of an affect on me, but I do take comfort that there are others out there that share in my madness. I realize that I love comedic Mulder (so much better than depressed season 10 Mulder) and absolutely everything about Scully, but when she gets a little flirty and smiles, laughs, or giggles, I cannot handle the happiness it brings me. How can two people make love with their hands? I don't know, but these two manage to do just that every time. When she put her hand on top of his my heart burned like it was on fire and when he held it back electricity burst through my chest. As her chair swung just slightly closer to his my chest felt like it exploded. How do they have this affect on me? I'm not sure what would happen if they actually showed a sex scene. I might not live through it, but we really do need a kiss. We deserve it.

“Are we having Sushi in honor of tonight’s episode?” Scully asked Mulder, rubbing her palms together.

He shook his head and set the bag on the table. “Chinese. Piping hot. We’re playing it safe.”

Mulder opened the boxes and handed out the chopsticks as he sat down. She smiled at him and gave him a kiss. He smiled back and added, “Just for that tonight I’ll let you eat the last shrimp.”

The episode started and so did Mulder, “I think they’re referencing Tay, the Microsoft AI that within 24 hours morphed into a neo-nazi sex robot with daddy issues. The good news is we got the preaching out of the way in the first 2 minutes. Take care of teaching our AI or we will be the ones deleted.”

A couple minutes later Mulder was staring at the television grinning. “What?” Scully prodded.

“How can any two people be any cuter ordering food than us?”

Scully squeezed his hand and smiled then turned her attention back to the television and her food. “Look at me, I’m so afraid of a quiet moment between the two of us I have to pick up my phone. We’re so comfortable with each other Mulder, look at the way we dress for a date.”  

Mulder cringed, “I couldn’t imagine us ever evolving into that. I couldn’t imagine wanting to ever do anything besides stare into your eyes and let you know every thought that pops into my head, like the fact that you have really sexy hands Scully.”

Scully dropped her chopstick. “I think I’ve dated that blobfish.”

Mulder scrunched his face. “Speaking of blobfish, who is Scott?”

“Scott was the man that put in all the fancy tech in my apartment. As a reward the writers thought he should be gifted with dinner with me.”

“Well, guess that’s not happening, since it turned on you and blew up the house. Such a pity.” Mulder smiled to himself thinking of Scott dateless and crying while Scully is sleeping with him in the UH. “That shot of me and the blobfish must be for our personal picture collection because I couldn’t imagine either of us on any kind of social media. We don’t have any friends.”

“Speak for yourself,” Scully shot back, “Mulder, why does me offering to pay and you motioning that you got it, why does it melt my heart?”

Mulder shrugged and Scully continued, “I do not understand our relationship. Weren’t we on a date? No goodnight kiss? I’m taking an Uber? Really?”

“I’ve got a better question, what’s the deal with the SUV? Is it mine or yours? Do we share it? Was the Mustang a rental? But that is totally me yelling at my car.”

“You have arrived at your final destination.. Final Destination shoutout to Wong and Morgan. I do love those movies.” Scully leaned over and stole some of Mulder’s Lo Mein. “I'm using my birthdate as a password? Have we both gone insane?”

“Maybe you should google it.” Mulder said laughing as she gave him a shot to the arm. “Aw, Scully, your poor queequeg. What happened to Dagoo?”

“I gave him to one of the children I operated on. He needed a doggy to love.” Scully put her head down missing her dogs, but recovered as she watched Mulder swinging his bat. “I love baseball Fox and his fine piece of ash.” Scully nudged Mulder and giggled.

His heart skipped a beat as it did everytime she giggled, “Thank you.”

Scully threw up her hands, “And what do you do when you’re frustrated with technology? Well, watch the 6 million dollar man of course... I don’t think I could handle living with this version of you. What is on the stairs? VHS tapes? Books? the whole place is so cluttered… and if you threw a ball in my house…”

“Hey. Easy.” Mulder rebutted. “That’s still me. Albeit a much more troubled version.. We’ve gotten very grumpy towards children in our old age.”

Scully rubbed his arm, “Mulder, you’re the one turning into a grumpy old man with a baseball bat, but that kiss to God...priceless.”

“So, considering how messy the UH is now, I think it’s ironic how you assumed the Roomba came from me.” Mulder paused the television. “Scully, I can handle all your electrical needs. You don’t need to call Scott anymore. Besides, have you seen this show? Everyone who spends more than five minutes with you falls in love with you.” Mulder pointed his chopstick her way and Scully ate the shrimp off the tip. He smiled. “Don’t make me bring the bat.”

Mulder attempted to scoop up his rice with his chopsticks and he caught a single grain before the rest slipped away onto his jeans. He looked back at the screen, “So, you like ‘em pink huh?” He saw Scully’s confusion. “The vibrator,” he clarified watching Scully kick the Roomba. “Dana Scully, Roomba Warrior.”

“Aw Mulder, you’ve been reduced to eating pop tarts alone for dinner. Mulder, your current statement balance is $1200 and last month's was $1000. Must have gotten that IKEA bill.”

Now Mulder was the one confused. “So the Uber is mad at you and the sushi place is mad at me… and all this could have been avoided if I left a tip and you lived back in the UH. There’s a lesson here.”

Scully laughed, “Those pink drone things kind of remind me of those fluorescent bugs in that forest…”

“It’s attack of the pink spinner drone vibrators” Mulder commented randomly.

“Mulder, I so want to throw Skinner a birthday party.”

He shrugged, “We can do that if you like.”

“Mulder, don’t you like rock music and some metal bands..”

Mulder nodded, “And songs you can dance to. James Taylor is like fingernails on a chalkboard.”

“I like things you can dance to too.” Scully smiled and opened her fortune cookie, then looked at Mulder dubiously,. “It says happiness comes when you move back into an unremarkable house.”

Mulder winked at her, but then rolled his eyes, “Tonight we interrupt this Ford commercial to bring you Samsung.”

“Aww Mulder, that look on your face when you saw my vibrator, it was like, hey, I thought I was your personal massager?”

Scully cleared the coffee table and put the leftovers in the fridge. She sat down closer to Mulder and he put his arm around her. She looked in his eyes, “Mulder you need to know… even if my life is in mortal danger, your body draped over me is always welcome.” Mulder responded by tackling her and Scully squirmed and laughed still attempting to watch the t.v. “There’s so much pain on your face deciding if your life is worth $5.50.”

Mulder stopped wrestling, “Leaving that tip was excruciating. It was a crime against humanity. I did that for you, you know. I would have sacrificed my life for the principal, but I didn’t want to see you hurt Scully.”

Scully scooted her way back into a sitting position, “We’re back with the humans in a diner having breakfast. You are really obsessing over the vibrator.”

“Well, come on Scully. You could be having sex with me and instead you’re having solo time?”

“You can have both you know and sometimes you get distracted with aliens, Spartan viruses, and space stations, but if it helps, the vibrator's nickname is Mulder. In fact, I bet there might be a lot of vibrators named Mulder.”

“Well I am the romancer of women the world over..” Mulder said smugly.

Scully covered her hand with his mimicking what was showing on the t.v., the warmth of it pulling Mulder from himself. He squeezed her hand back caressing it with his thumb. Scully looked up at him, “We’ll never lose sight of each other Mulder.” She leaned over and kissed him.

Mulder got up off the couch and walked over to the stereo flipping through his CD collection. He stuck a CD into the player and “Pink” by Aerosmith began to scream through the speakers.

Scully turned to face him. “That is not funny.”

He held out his hand for her, “Come on Scully, let’s go upstairs and have a little fun with pinky.” Scully relented and as they made their way to the top of the stairs Mulder stopped. “Scully, why is there a blobfish in my fish tank?”

“Oh, you mean Moby Dick?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm slacking. I need to write a between the scenes chapter for this episode.


	15. The Fourth Wall Pt. 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder and Scully review "Familiar"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was an x-file. Not some meta reference or “just like the good ol’ days”. It was an x-file. I feel like the media is too hung up on comparisons and let’s remind us of our age. Just give me scary teletubbies and Supernatural/Charmed meets Law and Order/CSI. I missed the shippiness of the other episodes, but they can’t all be them falling all over each other. Well, maybe they can. This was not a great episode, but it checked a bunch of boxes and if this was a full season it would have been good, but with only 8 real episodes and 2 carter WTF episodes, what’s lacking really stands out. This may be the last we see of these two on a screen although I have to believe fate will interfere, so I’m not going to hate on these episodes. As I found out last week, they could literally just stare at each other for 45 minutes in silence and I’ll be fine with it. Is it as good as the original run? Does it matter or can we all relax and take it for what it is...  
> Were there hints of the past? Sure, but aren’t there always? I almost feel like this season is in reverse. Starts with an everyday xfile hangin’ with a homie, they date, he winds up cancelling follow-up dates due to his obsessions until they wind up dating in a parking lot because “you never drive me to the airport anymore”, throw William popping up in there somewhere, they sleep together and then wind up living together and tied up. Seems logical to me. Did you notice last week, it was a Wednesday and they’re in sweats. Were they off from work? Then Thursday they were in no hurry to get to work or even call in? I was attempting to dream up a new chapter for one of my stories and I thought to myself, Carter tried to imply that the audience was in on something that Mulder and Scully weren’t privy to(Smoking man’s role) wouldn’t it be interesting if it turns out Mulder and Scully were in on something that we didn’t know because it feels like each episode is only bits and pieces and not a whole. Maybe I’m still hopeful they’re trapped on the UFO and Charlie Scully swoops down to save them and they have to download into The Matrix as a family to save all of mankind. Or maybe I watched too many movies as a child…  
> Either way we get to draw our own conclusion in two weeks. Why do I feel like next week is going to be anticlimactic and/or contrived? Are we together? Give me a break. I’ll answer it the way Mulder did two chapters ago, they’ve always been together. Now, more importantly, Morgan and Carter if I don’t get that kiss next episode…. Don’t you understand we have music vids to make and we need clips?

Back home from work Scully stepped into the house to find it dark, light reflecting through the shadows. As she stepped across the threshold she noticed the light source was a million flickering candles. “Building ambience Mulder?” She asked as she found him lighting the last of the candles.

“What’s wrong with a little romance?”

Scully looked around the room, “Did you rob a Yankee Candle?”

Mulder smiled, “Be careful Scully, or I might make you spontaneously combust.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Scully smiled back. “What’s for dinner?”

“BBQ ribs,” Mulder said as he set out the feast.  

Scully shook her head and started up the episode as she sat down. She took out her lobster bib for good measure and tied it around her neck. “Why would you buy such a creepy doll for your kid with one of its eyes nailed to its head? What is that?”

“That kid is cute as hell though,” Mulder commented, “Creepy moms doing the staredown. I know who you slept with last summer.”

“Children with weird dolls reminds me a little of Chinga.. Be careful on that log little boy. Ponce De Leon maybe lurking around ready to kill you.”

Mulder took a napkin and wiped the BBQ sauce off of Scully’s face. “Scully. Do you wish it was raining sleeping bags?”

“Jeremiah was a bullfrog,” Scully sang with a nostalgic look on her face, “So is William..." she frowned, but it was short lived, "That’s the guy from Monk. That was a good show.”

“It was as long as Monk wasn’t killing people with dark matter. Think he’s still locked away somewhere being experimented on with a tear in his eye?”

“That’s morbid Mulder." A younger version of them flashed across the screen. "You made such a handsome young man Mulder."

Mulder took another couple ribs and piled his plate, biting into some corn on the cob. “Wouldn’t be the x-files without some dead or abused children... Scully, the Truth is out There.. finally.”

Scully pushed some strands of hair behind her ear, “I do miss the old wig, but the new one isn’t terrible, but why the haircut? It’s a little Patricia Heaton, but not bad.” Scully took one of Mulder’s fries dipping it in his ketchup before chomping down. It always tasted better from his plate. “Back in the 90’s it felt like the police were condescending because I was a woman, barely tolerating me. It seems they have a little more respect if not fear of me now in 2018. It’s about time.”

Scully listened to Mulder addressing the officers and squeezed his knee. “I love you Mulder.”

“You do?”

“Yes, it’s so sweet having you defend me. It’s alright to be protective sometimes.”

Mulder looked in her eyes, bib, bbq sauce, greasy hands and all. “I love you.”

Scully watched herself as she rambled off facts of child killers, “Tonight, I will play the part of the profiler.”

“You weren’t buying the witchcraft, hounds of hell theory?”

“Homie don’t play that,” Scully shot back, “Why is witchcraft always depicted as evil on the x-files?”

“Why does Kersh always act like he’s pooping out a totem pole?” Mulder shrugged, “It just is.”

“So, spontaneous combustion equals good spot to sell tickets to tourists,” Scully said grabbing the last rib, “Let the evil money making begin.”

“That’s a tone you usually reserve for others Scully. Usually I’m the one to give the nasty tone to you. Scully is dishing it out tonight.” Mulder cleared the coffee table and brought back some wet naps for Scully and hot tea for both of them. Scully smiled as he helped clean her up.

“No posterior references tonight, but I caught that jerking off reference by you, “stirring the cauldron”. I seem to be squinty eyes reserved quiet Mulder tonight. It’s the Scully show which if this is a season 8 or 9 ep. means everybody dies.”

“That happened to me in season 7 also. Hey, Doggett and I had a better case rate than you and I,” Scully answered with raised eyebrows taking the teabag from her cup and sipping her tea.

“Yes, but there was no entertaining banter or sexual tension with Doggett.” Mulder eyed Scully for a reaction, but there was none so he turned his attention back to the television. “Okay, whether they mean it or not William is looming all over this dead child scene. This dead boy is either affecting me or I’m constipated. Haven’t figured out which one yet. Might need to borrow Skinner’s metamucil.”

“Who is allowing their kid to watch such a creepy show?” Scully asked, “Alien teletubbies with giant doll clowns that remind you of Saw.”

“Whisper Scully is back,” Mulder whispered her way.

“This is all very familiar,” Scully smirked taking another sip of tea. “The woods, harm to children, light switches that don’t work, flashlights blaring into corners, Fox Mulder tampering with and tasting crime scenes...”

“Do you remember the last time there was salt in a circle at a crime scene Scully?” Mulder wondered seeing if he could stump her.

“Millenium,” Scully answered proudly, “but there is no kiss at the end of this episode.”

“Just because the camera doesn’t catch it Scully…,” Mulder smiled and leaned his head her way so she could reach his lips. “The dude thinks because he committed adultery, demons came out and killed their children and I’m the one with wild theories?”

“Why do I have the urge to sing “Thriller” through this whole episode? You are so cute when you’re freaked out Mulder.”

“Pet my monkey. Love my monkey.” Mulder commented back hiding his face in his tea.

“What’s wrong with convicting someone for the sins of the past if they haven’t paid for those sins yet?.. like CSM? Karma is a bitch. Mulder, are you back to trust everyone? This case appears to be affecting you, but not in a Samantha kind of way.”

“The girl’s name is Emily. Like that’s not going to give you feels. Scully, this episode has bits of the seventh season episode, "Chimera" in it. Cheating husbands lead to good wife manifestations. Think there is a connection for the Chimera reference?"

  
Scully shook her head. It was a stretch and doubtful. Meanwhile, Mulder inside their TV was upset they were letting a guilty man free and convicting an innocent dead one. “Your conspiracy theories are not just reserved for big government, but small local town government too. We seem to be arguing a lot tonight.”

“We’re cute all whispery in the courtroom. We disagree better than anyone. We debate, we subjugate, we interrogate, but we don’t argue Scully.”

“Are you feeling okay Mulder? You look a little puffy.”

Mulder smirked. “It may be because I’ve been up the past few nights servicing a woman who reduced her inventory of electronic equipment.”

“Controversy.”

“We’re driving around on a case in our own personal car? What is the deal with the cars?”

“For some reason I’m afraid you’re going to get hurt in this episode, but you didn’t even fall down and lose your gun. You have an air of vulnerability about you.” Scully’s hand casually draped over Mulder’s leg slowly creeping higher.

Mulder looked down at Scully's hand and slowly raised his eyebrows. “Careful. You might unleash something you can’t control.”

Scully grinned, “I’ll take my chances.”


	16. Somethings Last Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The following takes place around the episode, "Nothing Lasts Forever".

What if all the other choices were wrong…

Scully looked in the mirror and a much younger version of herself stared back. She had her whole life ahead of her, not having even reached high school age, yet she still felt old. An old soul if you believed in reincarnation, getting countless chances at life until you found your destined path. Scully didn’t like that idea. She wanted the freedom to choose, to fight against fate. What would her choices be and where would they lead? Inside herself she always felt different. Partly because she was a navy brat shipped across country, not always accepted by others. There was also something deeper inside, almost as if her future self had left her a note inside her DNA so it could not be forgotten or read by anyone. It told her that she was different, but only because she was meant for greatness. Others were watching. They would always have their sights on her, believing they were guiding her onto their path, to use as a construct for their plans. Dana felt their eyes and the ones of others cast upon her from the spiritual realm. All because they wanted what she knew. Dana Katherine Scully had the power to save the world, but only if she chose to, she could have a child that one day would have the power to destroy or create, but needed the guidance of his mother’s love, and she would have the choice to be with a man that could shower her with the greatest love and friendship existence has ever known and they could share in a journey that would test everything of creation. The prices she would pay physically and emotionally would be inordinate and there would be a price for all those she loved and cared for as well to reach an ending she would choose in her heart. Or she could be tempted by life’s simplest pleasures and live happily oblivious, the other future paths overgrown and hidden by the weeds of age, but she would always have that aching, that itch calling to her from every cell, knowing he was out there alone, if only she chose to find him. Right now she simply stared into a mirror ready to begin making her choices that would become her life.

 

Scully woke to the familiarity of the cracks and bumps of a ceiling she had stared at for the better part of the last 11 years. Her apartment now condemned, the insurance company labeling it unlivable, she had found herself back in their home.  Mulder had stayed on the couch for the first week or so, on and off, but somehow he had found his way up the stairs and into their bed as well. She knew he slept better when she was around. The bed sunk in as he rotated onto his side draping her with an arm burying his face in her hair. She twisted so she could face the wall. This wasn’t the slow progression towards a reconciliation that she had imagined. This was a push and pull that included a yo-yo of emotions.

She didn’t feel distant when his body came to press up against her own, just inside herself. What she was doing to him wasn’t right. Mulder was patient and he chose to wait for her, but were they together or was she holding on to a memory that had long since past? Fifty four years old and she was still running and hiding, afraid to commit, rebelling passively in shadows. It was time for control. The first step was clear unquestionable direction. Scully had been going to Mass daily to pray for her son. She did so because she believed  as St. John Chrysostom said, “You cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more: the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity.” Today she would ask God for His guidance and strength to take the final leap.  

While receiving the Eucharist Scully had no time to reflect as she was interrupted by Mulder, guiding her onto another case. After dipping a couple fingers into the holy water and a proper genuflection she answered the incessant buzzing. This time they would ride up to the Bronx in NYC. Mulder made sure to stop for something to eat on the way knowing her propensity to go long durations without nourishment, giving him time to review the case details with her. She was slightly distracted by her own thoughts. Her decisions would not be pushed aside for a case this time. Her DNA was calling, demanding to be heard, requiring her to make another choice of freewill to circumvent destiny and fate if she so chose. She sipped her coffee and stared at Mulder and smiled. “What?” he asked, a smile growing on his own face in response. She was appreciating their connection, enjoying their moment together in the quiet cafe, staring into his gorgeous eyes and beautiful face. He was so perfect at being him. “I like the spikey hair Mulder. Very you.” His smile grew wider and she could tell he wanted physical contact, but they were on a case and that meant focus. Ever since the doppelgangers she had tried to keep a sense of decorum on the job. He did look good today. Maybe because he was happier, a slight bounce in his step. She liked to think she had something to do with that.

Scully watched on the sidelines as Mulder joyfully chased the two halfwit local law enforcement detectives away calling him on it as he did. She believed Mulder enjoyed her calling him out on his antics as much as he loved performing them. After an acknowledgement of aging body parts and a reference to her haircut that she still refuted as a joke, they headed out to find a motel in the area.

Scully woke the next day and headed out early, she had hospital databases to rummage through concerning liver transplants and not to be interrupted by the case, let Mulder know she would once again be attending the weekday Mass in the area. After it was over she lit her prayer candles and was greeted by Mulder who dutifully met her inside updating each other on their aspects of the case. Knowing Mulder didn’t share in these rituals she offered him a chance to meet up with her later, but Mulder wasn’t going anywhere. He would stand by her, respecting her need to walk her own walk at times, content to follow a step behind. Long ago he had offered himself up to her and he would never back away from his commitment, his heart and soul wouldn’t allow it. So the other part of her peacefully waited in a pew and while she prayed to God he prayed at the altar of Dana Katherine Scully forsaking all others for never shall they part. He picked up the Bible and began to read the days scripture. There were clues to the case, but that wasn’t the intent, it was to be closer to Scully, to share with her what he had always been repelled by in the past because of his sister’s tragedy.   

As he sat in the pew next to her listening to her stories about God, he asked if she was praying for another miracle. Her answer was no. “I don’t know if I believe in miracles, but I do know the power of faith. I saw it in my mom, the strength that she received, I could use some of that strength now." With admiration in her eyes she spoke to him of his own strength and in return he repeated the words she had said to him long ago for as different as they were, in their construct they both believed the same things, still joined by forces, fate, and their choice to do so, to become the more perfect one. “I think all I have, all any of us have are the results of all the choices that we made, and at the end of the day we just hope we made the right one.” Scully felt his words deep inside her and as if on cue, God answered in a thunderous roar of lightning outside and the tears of heaven poured down upon them as they left for it knew the struggles Scully faced for her choices.

A tracker placed inside a heart provided Scully and Mulder the location inside a tenement and finally a solid lead on the case. Dim flickering fluorescent and a telephone booth that had outlived its purpose provided the proper foreboding and symbolism, while an unaged actress called on her hounds to dump Scully down the dumbwaiter. The Avenger and a now dead Barbara did nothing to detract Mulder from Scully’s freefall. Her life to him was above all other purpose. Mulder’s heart held its beats as he searched for her in the basement. Her name becoming a chant, an extension of himself. Even after he saw frankenstein’s creation, his interest waned rapidly to get to the woman he cherished. As he broke the latch and dug her out from ten years of garbage, he knew of only one way to express his undying devotion with her now safe in his arms, “You stink,” he said in an outpouring of more than just emotion. As the young avenger came to them to give herself up, she stayed in his arms, leaning against his chest. Her trashy effervescents wafted onto his lapels and he wouldn’t have it any other way. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t tease her all the way home or make a quick run to the nearest Walmart for a clean shirt and sweats as to not soil the leather on their SUV.

Another case, another dollar and Scully found herself once again focused on making her decision, choosing her path. She was back in church lighting prayer candles. Praying for the souls of her mother, her sister, the welfare of her brothers and their children, for Mulder’s family that had now all passed and that his health would continue. When it came to the candle of prayer for the extraordinary, for the strength and the power to unleash that which she knew all her life was inside her to now show its face and exist, that candle burned out. Not that she was all out of miracles as she proposed to Mulder who had walked over to join her, but because that prayer was not for God to answer or to act on their behalf. Only the man and woman standing before the altar, two touchstones for each other, that had pledged themselves to each other, held the choice to answer that prayer and the conviction to act.

Scully pondered to Mulder that it was a sign to “turn back, give up, accept your place in the numbing embrace of the status quo.” None of which Scully ever chose given the countless chances.

Mulder relit the candle stating that he would extend her prayers through his, exposing the little he knew of the fine art of Catholicism. She explained to him the ways of the land and stated, “But you don’t believe in God so you’d essentially be talking to yourself.”

“I may not believe in God, but I believe in you, therefore I speak to Him through you,” giving her a brief lesson in geometry using Mulder’s conditional statements of deductive reasoning.

“Reason and faith in harmony, isn’t that why we’re so good together?” Mulder posed.

“Are we together?” Scully asked rhetorically, not referring to their recent bouts of indecision in their relationship, but a question of the bigger picture, as usual the bigger picture running parallel to their micro one. This was a question posed concerning a conversation they had in a motel room on a rainy night in New Mexico when a distraught Mulder felt he had lost faith in his quest, merely chasing monsters with a butterfly net. Scully was now the one holding the butterfly net to her own monsters except, unlike Mulder, when she knew the date of Armageddon she felt like she had accepted defeat, that she was afraid and possibly broken. At the time, she had told Mulder that you only fail if you give up and he couldn’t give up. It’s what she saw in him when they first met and why she followed him and why she would do it all over again, but now, in 2018, she had failed because she had given up, on all of it. “You know, I believed I could protect our son, and I failed. I believed that we could live together and I fled. I gave up on that too.”

Once again Mulder countered her, paralleling what was said in that motel room, reviewing what it had cost her, what she had lost and once again she reassured him that it was a sacrifice she was willing to make and not what she was referring to.

Mulder looked through her eyes into her soul and renewed his vows, the ones he made in the hallway after his involuntary brain surgery, the ones he made in that motel room in New Mexico and the ones he made a thousand times over. She would always be his choice and his choice would always be to stand right beside her. “Well what are you talking about Scully because I don’t know if any God is listening, but I am standing right here, and I am listening. Right beside you. I’m all ears. That’s my choice.”

Scully considered.  Absorbing what he was affirming. The words in that motel room echoing in her head. “You’ve always said that you want to believe, but believe in what, Mulder? If this is the truth that you’ve been  looking for, then what is left to believe in?”

Mulder had looked into her eyes as he did now, “I want to believe that the dead are not lost to us. That they speak to us as part of something greater than us--greater than any alien force. And if you and I are powerless now. I want to believe that if we listen to what’s speaking, it can give us the power to save ourselves.”

“Then we believe the same thing.” she had told him declaring their unity.

Now, inside a church, their commitment and vow renewal in front of God left Scully feeling vulnerable and exposed, looking around to see who was veering in on their private moment. The world fell deaf and held its breath. The candle extinguished as time froze for everyone except them. God allowing them the moment alone, even he had left the building. Scully leaned into Mulder and whispered her prayer softly into his ear. Bearing her soul to the only man that had ever seen it, touched it, and shared it with her. Her words were hot against his ear flowing into his heart and expanding it exponentially. Her prayer was for strength and perseverance, guidance, to go after the ones that had caused this shift in their lives, that exposed them to all this, that had prevented the existence of the peaceful happiness they deserved and took the lives of their loved ones. The ones that drew them and their family painfully apart. She was going to find her son and protect him like she felt she should have from the beginning. She was going to hunt down the devil once and for all and make them all accountable for their sins. And in the end to claim her family back and have that life that they deserved with William. She pulled back to look into his soul, sharing her heart with his, concluding, “That’s not my four year old self looking for a miracle. That’s my leap of faith forward. And I’d like to do it together,”

He nodded wholeheartedly and replied, “I always wondered how this was gonna end.”

He relit their prayer candle and God returned with a blessing to light their way back home.

Scully slid her hand into Mulder’s and his heart was instantly full. “Mulder, I want to go home,” she whispered. He nodded and put his arm around her as they left the church. It was their unconditional bond that sparked it all and it will be that bond that ends it all.

Once in their car Mulder reached for Scully’s hand, caressing it with his thumb. There was nothing inside him that had any intention of ever letting it go. They didn’t speak much on the way home, mostly because there was nothing else that needed to be said. Over an hour later the dirt road of their driveway met their tires and Mulder felt an excitement flow inside him that he forgot existed. As he walked around the car her hand was waiting and as they walked up the steps to their home, the one they built together, he turned to her before opening the door, “You know traditionally I feel I should be carrying you over the threshold, but I think maybe we would prefer it if we stepped over it together.”

Scully smiled up at him and he saw forever in her eyes. The wait was over. They took that next step together. Once inside, his hand came to caress her face looking deep inside her before closing his eyes as his lips gently brushed her own. He felt the press of her body against his as her hand threaded through his hair. Tears burned at his eyes as feelings were spilling from his soul. She had come back to him full force. He pulled away from her lips only far enough for him to speak into her eyes, “I will choose to be with you Scully… always.”  


	17. Together.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation from last chapter because....

Scully was on her tiptoes rising above her heels to meet his lips, caressing the back of his head. He took her hand and led them upstairs, his nerves on edge anticipating what was to come. Scully backpedaled him towards the bed and he fell into a sitting position on the mattress. Sliding his suit jacket down his shoulders, she removed it, reaching into his jacket pocket and taking out his glasses, setting his jacket on the back of the chair. Walking back towards him she slid them over his eyes, removing his tie and unbuttoning the top button of his shirt exposing his neck. Scully took a step back. God, he was hot. She stared at his body silhouetting through his button-down as she stripped for him. He pushed his glasses closer to his nose as his jaw dropped.  Her clothing removal quickened as she grew tired of her eyes having all the fun and crashed her lips against his, sending him flying onto his back. Her mouth ravaged his sloppily, out of control, she paused to remove his glasses and then returned her attention back to him. “Lift up,” she whispered as her tongue traced along the bumps of his inner ear, “those pants are coming off.”

He followed her commands well and within seconds they were side by side with their mouths fused together, Mulder's hand slid over her breasts, down her stomach, and between her legs. She moaned out an, "Oh God," and he smiled, whispering, "That's not God Scully, that's me." The slickness of his fingers against her insides told him Scully was waiting for him and he knew he never wanted anyone or anything as much as he always ached for her. He rolled her underneath him and teased her open and this time she moaned his name. The heat from her calling to him, drawing him in and he pushed inside her slowly, but completely. His eyes fell shut in complete ecstasy as a warmth flooded his system. He felt her emotions unguarded, the sensations she was drawing from him, he pulled out just so he could slide back in. His heart was on fire as it beat out of his chest. Lightning charged underneath the hand that was gently massaging her breast. He felt the electricity bolt through her nipples as the pads of his fingers passed over them. A moan escaped from his lips and their souls embraced. Their bodies a mere medium igniting layers of energy as they brushed against the other. He started slow and sweet and tender, their current flowing in and out. Their minds began their transformation binding their consciousness and Scully gripped his ass, kneading and massaging and urging him on until her hips rose up and began to set a pace, brutal and hot and fucking amazing. High pitch whimpers escaped through her parted lips and his mouth was on hers again, cutting them off. They grasped at each other like the first time, like every time. She was curled around him in every way. Enveloping him, her legs surrounding his waist, her arms encircling his neck. All wrapped tight around him like some exquisite vise. And Mulder was buried inside her, burrowing further, wanting to be closer, needing to be deeper. God, he’d fucking crawl inside her if he could and never want out. Scully’s hands found his and they folded together. Mulder brought them joined, up over her head. Their foreheads touched. Every pant, every breath mixing with his. Her hips moved along with his like the flow of the ocean. Back and forth. In frenzied unison. Together. Their eyes locked. “God, Mulder . . . I don’t want to stop . . . Please, don’t ever stop.” Mulder was drowning in her. He could barely draw a breath. But somehow he ground out, “I won’t. I’ll never stop. I’ll never stop feeling for you Scully, never stop loving you, never stop giving you everything I have.” Their world passed through him, visions of every time she cared for him, resurrected him, pulled him from the depths of his own hell, and his eyes burned, every time he dialed she was always on the other end, every time she teased him, surprised him, awed him with her brilliance.. Another wave of pleasure passed through him… he worshiped her, loved her, his life was only her… the smiles he got to put on her face, the life she brought to his existence… it was all there… and now he would be her talisman and her warrior, she would guide them into forever. The pleasure and intensity built inside them to a fever pitch. He felt her as she came. Every scorching wet inch of her tightened around him and every molecule reached out to vibrate with his. And it was so good . . . so intense he felt the tears threaten again to break free from his eyes, he wanted to fucking weep from the pleasure. He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her, devouring her. And then he was coming with her— within her. A pulsing stream with each thrust. Sweet electricity raced through him as words fell from his lips over and over again: “Scully. . . I love you Scully . . . Scully.” After several moments, their bodies stilled. The only sounds in the room were their rapid breaths and pounding heartbeats. Then Scully whispered, “Mulder? Are you all right?” He lifted his head and found her beautiful eyes looking at him with concern. Her hand cupped his cheek gently. “You’re shaking.”

He felt his tears returning and this time he couldn’t hold back. He never thought he would have these feelings again, the sanctity of their bond, of them together walking through eternity flashlights in hand illuminating the shadows. This time they would make it to the end. He gazed into her sparkling skies, “It’s only because I know the Truth.”


	18. The Fourth Wall Pt. 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder and Scully review "Nothing Lasts Forever".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a few days to digest this latest episode (pun intended?). Part of me thought it was too gross and rushed, the lean in for the whisper was cruel just so they could preview it like a kiss, and left me with a feeling that Carter is still up to his old gags of if you look at the picture one way MSR is platonic, look at it the other and MSR is back and stronger than ever. Like those pictures of the old witch and the beautiful woman depending on the angle. The answer is a resounding: Some truths are not meant for you.  
> Just as GA knows, All we want is to see them happy, together, with nothing between them. For Chris, that is too much to ask. And yet we still have one more episode… (yes a shipper holds on til their last dying breath and then haunts the place afterward.)  
> So, the other part of me was excited to see a Wong/Morgan bloodfest and a reference to Hammer Horror, understood that 42 minutes to have a fully developed x-file is too much to ask for, loved the Sunset Boulevard theme and AHS cult and vampire references (not to mention countless x-file references) and didn’t need the plot developed further because I already know the backstory and only wanted a conclusion to MSR.  
> Them ending up in a church facing the altar with a stained glass mural of the children gathered around Jesus and lighting a prayer candle like it was a wedding candle was beautiful. The secret squirrel prayer she whispered in his ear (Much like the ending of Twin Peak’s Laura Palmer whispering to Agent Dale Cooper) was touching and sweet and very them. BUT… I didn’t feel very satisfied. If this was a normal MOTW season finale it was a great way to end the year, but we’re looking down the barrel of a gun here and we may never see a new MOTW with Scully again so…. After 25 years…. WHERE IS MY RESOLUTION!?! WHERE IS MY KISS!?! Why is this too much to ask?  
> In other news… this past Wednesday I had Chinese food for dinner and never opened the fortune cookie. It sat at my kitchen table until today when I opened it before going to toss it in the trash, it read:  
> “It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.”  
> If you don’t believe me I posted a picture of it on Tumblr. Wow. Talk about spooky.  
> I’ll leave you with this - I’m very grateful Carter was successful in his endeavors and we got the opportunity to share in such a great gift that is the x-files. I’m very thankful to GA and DD and that we got this last encore and opportunity and it was a blast sharing it with everyone all over social media. I believe this is the best fandom and that it has built the foundation for so many others and that’s something for all of you to be proud of. I have developed some great friendships as a result and I hope to continue in the future. I found some x-files virgins so I am very excited to be doing a rewatch as soon as this “season” ends and happy to have others join in. For everyone reading this I send my love and regards to you and your family. Now let’s all strap in for the CC finale, we already know how bumpy it’s gonna get...

 

Scully could hear the wood boards creaking above as Mulder excitedly pounded down the stairs. “Mulder, what were you doing up there?”

“Practicing my ninja skills. I heard we get to fight vampire ninjas jacked up on Hannibal smoothies.” Mulder pulled up a piece of the couch and settled in. “Are we watching FX?” Mulder looked confused, “I didn’t realize the new season of AHS had started.”

“No, Mulder, this is the x-files.” 

“What in holy hell?”

“Exactly,” Scully rebutted and then quickly changed the topic, “Was that Tad O’Malley on that car radio and did he say chemtrails? This episode just started and already it feels like I ate bad sushi.”

“It’s continuity within the MOTW episodes with mythology haunting in the background Scully.”

“If you think there is continuity you need more than your eyes checked. They went full on season 3 retro with the continuity this season.”

They watched as two men cut and bagged organs. “Are we watching IWTB?” Mulder asked still confused. 

“No Mulder.”

“That female’s got mad skills. They must have recruited her from the CW or a Netflix Marvel series.”

Scully laughed. “That man harvesting organs said he needed medical attention? The man has a wrought iron stake through his heart.”

“I know, sounds like a line I should be saying.” Mulder answered back. 

“This is gross and that is coming from a medical doctor,” Scully quipped, “and all writers and directors need a course in BSI. No one ever cares about bloodborne pathogens.”

Mulder crossed his arms in frustration. “Let’s have fun with the tag because who really cares anymore?”

“Remember when church in the x-files was creepy, now it’s just sacrilegious.”

“Remember when my actions were subtle and didn’t require you to narrate them?”

Scully nodded and looked down at a glass of water sitting on a coaster decorated with an Apollo Shuttle.  “Yes. I remember when a look took the place of dialogue.” She looked up, “You wearing Gillian’s eyeglasses is doing things to me. How, exactly, did you obtain Gillian’s glasses?”

“What? Who? Me? When?”

“Uh-huh.”

Mulder smiled enjoying Scully's bought of jealousy. “They're actually a prop, not her actual glasses.”

“Are they implying I have gout? Did we miss the episode where they removed the chip in my neck? Aren’t I impervious to such human frailties?” 

“Did you get your haircut?”

“Oh, Mulder,” Scully said touching his face, “Just like a husband that's been married for decades.”

“Is it just me or are you waiting for Lady Gaga to make an appearance?”

“It’s just you.”

Mulder kicked his feet up on the coffee table and placed his hands behind his head,  “I was reading the science news on Flipboard and the concept from the episode “This” was being discussed. They say in fifty years you’ll be able to upload your consciousness into the cloud for $10,000. The only catch is it kills you in the process, which explains the whole- have to be dead thing in that episode. There was also an article about this episode. They’ve actually done that with a young and old frog and the old frog actually did get younger. They haven’t fully discovered why. So they are attempting to continue to create episodes ripped from headlines.”

“Feels like they’re ripping them from Tooms’ nest. Liver anyone? I think they’re just throwing headlines on the wall to see what sticks.”

A scene flashes across the screen of Scully in the church lighting a candle giving Mulder the choice to meet up later or wait for her. Mulder looked over at Scully on the couch and replied, “I’ll always wait for you Scully.”

“Of all the churches and all the congregations in all the land, Buffy the Vampire Slayer had to walk into the same church you were praying at.” Mulder pointed at the screen, “If Barbara never leaves the house, how did she come about this brothel of Millenials? Put an ad on Craigslist?”

Scully sighed as she watched her other self, explaining her reasoning for her belief in God, “You’ll always be my puppy Mulder.”

Mulder scratched his head, “I’ve come to realize that the entire event series, 10 and 11 explore you, but my story is left quite empty. Since season 9 all I’ve done is coil up in our house with a trusty laptop, rebuild my nest there and passively research conspiracy theories. Talk about your empty existence.”

“Well, you did have that one older gentlemen informant.”

“Yeah, how did I manage to come across him? I feel unexplored. The depths of my character only went as far as Samantha and now I’m quite boring with the exception of making jabs at my age and inability to cope in the New World Order.”

Mulder watched them walk down the sidewalk towards their car, “Black umbrellas and stormy days.. How I’ve missed thee.”

“Mulder, you realize that may well be the last shot of us ever holding our umbrellas.” 

Mulder, not wanting to deal with that thought, changed the subject, “I’ve got that song by Queen, Who wants to Live Forever, stuck in my head.”

“Who wants to live forever in the Bronx trapped in some man eating brothel unable to see the light of day?” Scully returned.

“Check out the house number Scully,  2111 or 11/21 backwards. It’s the antichrist’s house.”

“Your gut doesn’t need glasses Mulder.”

“Buffy is looking out the window at us like damn those meddling agents.”

Mulder watched as the scene changed to the apartment and Barbara singing to her cult, eagerly waiting to become the next host,  “Ah, oldies music. Always ripe for horror. That I will miss.” 

“Why is this episode so unnecessarily gross?”

Mulder looked over at Scully, “How come he can leave, but she can’t?”

“Well, he looks a little more aged then her.”

Mulder caressed his chin in contemplation, “The episodes all being three to six minutes shorter in 2018 to make room for the additional commercials has really hurt fleshing out these x-files. I think the episodes would have been better if they had been two hours. An x-files movie every week.”

“ThisMan made his way into the episode on the apartment wall. Wonder if we’ll find out who’s watching us from their dreams or remote viewing next episode. Or maybe not.” Mulder frowned, “This play on my inability to see is a little much. I was just glued to my phone two weeks ago and now I’m blind? Hello, I’ve always needed reading glasses. Oh, no, now it’s because I’m old.”

Scully smiled, “What is it about those glasses that makes you look so sexy? Honestly, I’m having trouble containing myself.”

“Apartment 4-D. Add that to the list of past x-files references. This one episode has at least 12,” Mulder commented, “I don’t look as frantic as I should be at the fact that you might be dead and just so you know I would have been so okay with us just making out right there in the trash.”

“So if the sister is no longer drinking blood will her face reverse and become deformed again?”

Mulder put his finger up to his lips, “Shhh. Nobody cares. We are alone in a church playing with fire.”

Scully looked confused, “Aren’t there convenient points in time where you acknowledge that God might exist? Like the finale of season 8, season 9, and IWTB?” 

“Yeah well, last month you don’t believe in ghosts or the devil, but you’re in church now, the strong believer praying to God.”

Scully shook her head, “It doesn’t matter. This is our MOTW finale. Most likely the last chance….” 

“.....For you to whisper in my ear?” Mulder countered.

“They say the writer didn’t write anything for that moment, so it’s between you and me to decide what was said.”

“Well, it’s time for my once a season lament that you could be leading the normal life if it wasn’t for you following me.”

“And I will once again comfort you and let you know I don’t begrudge you, wouldn’t change a thing.”

“But you still wonder about it from time to time.”

“Well, we’ve been broken up for at least two years, what have I done to start that normal life?”

“So, are you pregnant as the previous episodes have been foreshadowing? You keep mentioning miracles and our miracle is William. We’ve got that stained glass painting with the children in the backdrop and I mention it as what you would have had if you weren’t with me.”

“Mulder, how would I ever possibly know if I was? Wouldn’t I simply pass it off as menopause? But that’s not what this moment is about.”

“Then what is it about because I’m at a loss.”

“It’s about my leap of faith. No more miracles. Time for action. You listened to my prayer and you’re ready to stand by my side and face the storm together.”

Mulder covered her hand with his, “I look so hurt when you posed the question of if we are together. I wonder what I would have answered before you interrupted me.”

“So, um.. Are we together?”

Mulder smiled as he closed in on her lips, “I’m not going to tell you, it’s an x-file. You believe what you want.”

“What if I want to know the truth and not believe the lie?” Scully said cocking an eyebrow.

Mulder tilted his head and lifted his eyebrows, “Scully we’re together, always. Carter doesn’t get a say in what we do behind closed doors. In the comics, we never broke up. After those credits roll tonight, we go back to our home together, in our bed, doing all the things we used to do back when we first moved into it. You want to get married? We’ll get married after Carter leaves the set. We got married in this universe we can get married in that one. We’ve had countless finales including running off together happily in a row boat. Just pick your favorite one.”

“Season 8 finale had all of us together and ended in a kiss. I probably prefer that one, but this, it ends with a question and a whisper? I feel raw. I’m tired of this roller coaster. Stop this train, I want to get off.”

Mulder wrapped his arms around Scully, “Oh, we’ve only just begun. We’re in for a free fall with Carter’s episode next week.”

Scully got up and turned off the television, “And so it ends…. with hope, faith, and a prayer.”

There was a solid knock at the door and as Mulder opened it he saw Skinner at the other end dragging in Carter handcuffed. Skinner pulled up a chair towards the television and commanded, “Sit down.” 

Carter complied and Skinner tied him to the chair and released his handcuffs. Skinner looked up at Mulder, “Are we ready?”

Scully stood from the couch, “Yes. We’re ready.”

The door opened and William walked into the house, “What…. What’s going on?”

“It’s time,” Skinner stated firmly.

William catapulted onto the couch bouncing on the cushions as he sat down, “Last episode. Let’s do this.”

Scully sat on one side and Mulder sat on the other each putting an arm around William, holding each others hand as their arms rested at the top of the couch. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I post this we are in that perfect moment in time between a brand new batch of X-files under our belt and a new episode coming up. Mulder and Scully are united in their journey and their lives. I will savor this for as long as it lasts.


	19. Spooky Jr.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder & Scully read the latest entry "Spook", from Ghouli.net.

Scully eye’s searched Mulder’s from across the desk as she pointed at the laptop screen, a distressed look haunting her otherwise perfect face, “That was definitely written by William. He’s still out there. They haven’t found him.”

“He knows about The Syndicate,” Mulder added moving to her side of the desk comforting her hand with his, “and he knows of their plans.”

Her eyes were pleading with his telling him what needed to be done. Scully’s hand delicately brushed over the stubble of his face and his heart leapt to action. The intensity of their connection made him feel that he had the power to defeat the world for her, for their son, if he needed to. “He sounds scared Mulder. Out there by himself. Lonely. Not knowing if he is truly ours or a simple construct. A tool and a weapon. Not human.” 

Mulder read William’s words again. “He sounds pissed off and he’s wondering about the others out there like him.”

“He needs us Mulder.” 

Mulder nodded and fixed her soft red strands behind her ear. Her eyes closed, her lips coming to warm his own, to send him off on their crusade. He would never take for granted her choice to be together or for their need to have their family back. His only wish, prayer, dream, was to return back to her, to her arms, with their son.


	20. Last Scene

Mulder walked with Scully away from the docks to his car. He held her hand on the ride home. She stared out the window. Blood spattered on their clothes. The night looming in the rearview mirror as the orange glow of morning conquered the horizon. Mulder had questions. So many questions. One of them being, after all those years, all the sex and love they shared, why now?

Was it as simple as willing it to happen? Mulder had his suspicions, the one at the forefront being that the chip in Scully’s neck held a power that Scully could control. One of them apparent ovulation and production of ova. Had her recent connections with William caused her to unlock the powers of that chip?

No matter how Scully tried to convince him or herself of William as an abomination, he was still their son. What of all the DNA tests?   
And Skinner… what happened to him? His body was gone.

Mulder was in shock, too much for tears or much emotion.

“Mulder, look,” Scully commanded in a raspy voice.

His eyes couldn’t register what they were seeing. There was an FBI sedan parked in front of their home, with Skinner and William waiting on the steps.

Scully ran teary eyed to her son, holding him close with all her might, showering him with kisses to the point of making him blush.

“But how?” Mulder squeaked out yet again.

“William doesn’t just have the powers of destruction Mulder,” Skinner answered.

It explained nothing, but Mulder understood. “Now I know what they meant. William has what everyone wants. Eternal life.”

Scully crossed her arms as the night air turned cold, “Let’s go in the house. There’s a lot to discuss.”

As they stepped inside the house Mulder turned to Scully in disgust, “Your dog shit in the house again.” He lifted his shoe and sure enough his black leather soles were covered in Daggoo’s dirty deed.

“Where is that damn dog?” Mulder asked Scully.

She called out as she headed up the stairs, “Probably warming your side of the bed.”

While William told his stories to Skinner and Mulder, Scully rummaged through the old files in the closet digging up William’s DNA and Mulder’s. They were still a match and not as brothers.

She hurried down the stairs and Daggoo jumped from the bed following her happily behind. “If William is CSM’s son, how can this be?”

William sent his hands through his hair. “I’m a Chimera. Like the ship. I hold DNA from multiple parents. You and Mulder’s. And an alien creation, a cocktail of destruction. I have those images, from the womb.”

“We can help you William,” Mulder repeated, “We can help you have a life.”

Scully added, “They believe you to be dead, you now have the anonymity you need.”

Skinner stood, “I think we all need to get some sleep. There will be much more to discuss in the morning.”

“William, there’s a bed for you down the hall,” Mulder motioned and looked at Scully, “It’s been waiting... for you.”

“I’ll be fine here on the couch,” Skinner mumbled not wanting to be a burden, “I’m just happy to be alive.”

Scully ran for some pillows and blankets for Skinner, tucked in William and met Mulder in the bedroom. Now in their bedroom, with a full house, they settled in for a night of sleep they hadn't had in too long.

Mulder rested his hand on Scully’s stomach, “We started this year with so little and now we have so much.”

Scully rolled towards him and smiled, leaning in to give him a kiss, Mulder closed his eyes and was greeted with wet slobber. Scully laughed.

Mulder feigned disgust wiping his mouth, but pulled Daggoo in close to pet his furry head just the same.


	21. The Fourth Wall Pt. 10 - Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love does not always conquer all...  
> CSM chooses the Will to Power over his creations..  
> The new mythology is toast..  
> M&S carry on...  
> William sacrifices himself for his parents..
> 
> Sing it with me..  
> Because the doggone boy is mine...

My Review

My initial watch of the finale left me empty, hollow. Some of it because there was no shock factor and another because once again we spent most of the episode apart and in cars and running. We’ve crawled inside Carter’s head so many times to write these stories and read them that we’re at the point where we’re reading his mind. We, ourselves already had this vision, in fact all of season 11 felt like a vision we’ve already seen only being acted out on screen. Sure, Carter hit us over the head with clues as well. There was no surprise of the face off with CSM or Scully’s pregnancy, and every time Mulder appeared on screen I knew when it was William or the real Mulder. So you have to go deeper. I start with MSR. We did not have a resolution. Scully is not living with Mulder. Not yet. There was no kiss, no romance. Not in the script. I wanted so bad for Carter to allow me to feel their love in my heart, to be Reggie and experience it with them, along with all the chemicals and highs I get from them. Carter doesn’t want to give us that and we have strong feelings towards him because of it(read my previous chapters), but it’s still his prerogative. Although, I’m still not convinced that Chris or David understand by their responses to our cries. Thank God for GA. (whose performance was perfect. She really gave it all she had and it showed. David did really well too, but GA still carries the scenes). So Carter, thank you for giving us Mulder and Scully and thank you for the olive branch that is the new baby. Even though we never asked for him/her, I loved them even before they were born as I love their parents.

Onto William. I can’t stop loving William, even though he’s a shit, and I can’t stop claiming him as their son. They’re using the Emily excuse of manufactured in a lab and not meant to be, but I still hurt about Emily. What is the statement they are making about test tube babies or surrogates or adoptive parents or even IVF treatments? I don’t believe Scully or Mulder will stop loving William, but Scully always chooses Mulder over all else and she is choosing a life with Mulder over William. Her explanation about letting William go is for Mulder’s sake and William’s sake because WIlliam told her more than once to stop chasing him. It was not a statement of her true feelings or emotions about William. Her tears at the end are as much for the death of her son as much as anything else, but remember, she needs Mulder and she can’t risk Mulder falling into depression again so she tries to justify it away.

Anyway, if you take what was written in Ghouli.net, Scully had two babies inside her. Mulder/Scully baby and the alien. Like all the other experiments we saw in Dr. Parenti’s lab at that time(later we see other successes with attaching alien viruses to human DNA in Founder’s Mutation), the alien would have been born and then died shortly after, but instead, which happens in science, one embryo devoured the other and formed a chimera. I believe William was able to do this because he inherited Mulder’s natural immunity to the alien virus(not to be confused with CSMs virus that only alien DNA has immunity towards) So William in essence is both Mulder/Scully creation and CSMs creation. Mulder is William’s father and Scully is his mother. Unfortunately, CSM has DNA in there too. This explains William’s internal struggle that he’s not mature enough to handle (also we know of the psychotic effects of exposure to the alien virus). To say they are not his parents is bogus. Some people do not feel an attachment and are only biological donors, but not these two. And not us. We’ve loved this boy the first year of his life and then sight unseen for 16 years. Even if he is a monster, he is our monster and he has their DNA in there somewhere. Why does CSM need to kill Mulder if that’s not true? He needs Mulder dead because that is the prophecy(the prophecy is alive and strong as seen in the tagline Salvator Mundi - Savior of the World). Mulder is the father and if CSM doesn’t kill him, the boy saves the world. Although not from the aliens colonizing, but from CSM. CSM is having visions of the future the same as everyone else. Mulder is not, because unlike Scully, his DNA is not part of the alien DNA, but the human part. It’s apparent in William’s actions and emotions that Mulder is inside him along with Scully. Just like Mulder, William would rather die than join CSM. Why am I so hung up on William having them as parents? Because I’m not taking the script to “All Things” and burning it. That night was sacred to all of us and I’m not cheapening it with science rape and why include it on Ghouli.net if it’s not true. Why have Carter state in the past that Mulder is in fact the biological father and that was the conception date.

Now onto Scully’s current pregnancy. Here, obviously Carter is giving us our happily ever after - although MSR still needs some fixing(and thanks for cheapening it with once again in Carter’s world Mulder and Scully only have sex when lonely and desperate, not because they’re in love. He really messed up in IWTB and went all AU with all the love talk)

So, how is she pregnant? It’s our miracle.

First of all, the 54 year old thing. Remember, Scully has alien DNA and that chip. She could potentially outlive Mulder by 100 years(dang, we’ve got to get him a chip). Science analyzes the correlation between life expectancy and reproductive years, so if she now has that longer life expectancy, it is not out of the realm that she would also have a longer reproductive window. What about being barren? Well, if you read the latest findings, it is now believed that women might not have a finite amount of eggs and may be able to produce more. Then William, who keeps getting compared to Jesus, wanting to make his parent’s happy and move on from him, may have also gifted her with the ability(at least aided it). William may have been the Thisman spy spying on his parents and wanting to give his mother what she wants. Because otherwise, Carter is saying Mulder and Scully hardly ever had sex, which is more unrealistic than the 54 year old thing.

William sacrificed himself for his father(Fox Mulder), which I thought was beautiful and was resurrected(obviously he displays several bounty hunter traits and there was no use of a stiletto so he lived). He also wanted his parents to believe he was dead so they could live on without him. At least make peace with their decision. William knew they were right to give him up. They were a danger to him and they remain to be if they know he is not dead. It was the right thing to do even if we don’t want it to be. William has a purpose now and he also needs to find others like him so they can fight the future and live out the prophecy set forth by his father, Fox Mulder.

It’s all very religious overtoney and very beautiful and poetic and very Chris Carter.

I really would have liked to have seen Scully get her licks in on CSM and we know he will also be resurrected if there is anything further (he obviously dosed himself with alien DNA) and of course Carter wouldn’t kill off Skinner. Mr. Y and Barbara Hershey getting killed off doesn’t guarantee anything, there's still probably a syndicate.

Rewinding a bit, Scully called Tad O’Malley to spread some conspiracy and once again remind us of the reason her name is not on the wall of the basement and that her not having a desk isn’t some sexist thing, it’s because her and Mulder are the same person and she took on his name. Not just because of the culture of taking a man’s name through marriage, but because her name and reputation is always protected by him. The name Dana Scully is still sacred ground.

Poor unexplored Monica. Nothing like dragging a good agent through the mud, especially one that helped us through the non-Mulder times.

Finally, Mulder. The tossing of the gun in the water to me wasn’t just the rejection of the violence, but also that he had reached the end. That was his microphone drop that he was finished with the mythology, the aliens, all of it. So when Scully tells him to let William go, 17 years of emotions he’s been withholding for Scully’s sake come pouring out of him and he is lost. We already know Mulder is lost without Scully, but now he’s really lost. If he’s not the x-files, he’s not her husband, and now he’s not a father, than what is he? Well, he’s still a lot of things, but in this moment he wants Scully to define him and she lets him know he is still a father. But what about MSR? Well, what did she whisper in Mulder’s ear? I believe it was her prayer to find peace and build a family (at the time she said with William, but now it looks like it is with our new addition) and she wanted them to do it together. What more can you ask for?

 

The Final Act of The Fourth Wall

Carter and Morgan’s name came into view across the black backdrop on the screen. William, Scully, and Mulder looked over from the couch to Carter tied up securely to a dining chair unable to move. About to speak, they were interrupted by the loud crash of the front door flying open. Doggett barged in grabbing Mulder’s bat from the corner, marching towards Carter, pausing to get into a batting stance ready to swing like Carter’s head was on a tee.

“Wait!” Carter screamed.

“You son of a bitch!” Doggett screamed, “You killed Monica!”

“No one ever truly dies on the x-files.” Carter shot back, “Obviously CSM had promised Monica a piece of that eternal life, at least to survive the coming apocalypse. Maybe she has healing powers too.”

“My ass you sorry son of a bitch!” Doggett screamed again.

“Doggett, No!” Scully screamed, “It won’t change anything.”

Doggett turned his attention to Scully. “Why Monica? We never discovered why she decided to light CSM’s cigarettes, her motivation, there was no payoff for her, her character never went anywhere.”

“We don’t have those answers Doggett, but we’re not the ones to decide Carter’s fate.” Mulder said. He got up from the couch and went for a paddle in the hall closet, “This is up to them.”

Headlights surged in the front yard. So many it appeared as if daylight was upon them. One by one the X-Philes came, the fans, the diehards, the noromos, the shippers, all of them. Marching towards Carter in the dark.

“Before I let them in Carter, I have a few questions” Mulder said looking him straight in the eye, “Why wouldn’t Scully go with me to search for William? Why wouldn’t I kiss her goodbye?”

Carter sighed,“Mulder and Scully are still working things out. They’re more platonic than anything... And I just don’t want them to. No kisses on screen for the whiney shippers. Nah nanni poo poo. Cry me a river. They’re mine. Get it Mulder. You’re my creation. Besides, Scully didn’t go with Mulder because she’s having morning sickness and visions. She had to go take her pregnancy test.”

Mulder moved on, “Did my killing spree help stop anything at all?”

“There will always be stories to tell,” Carter answered.

“Why did you waste so much time with me driving and running?”

  
“To build suspense.”

“All it built was my irritation of how there would be no time with me and Scully alone to digest anything that was flung at us this episode.”

Skinner chimed in, “You do know all the Star Wars references right? Agent Mulder is our only hope? I am your father? I mean.. Not that I mind.”

Mulder took his turn at another question,“Was the guy spying on William ThisMan? His face smashed on the window kind of looked like him.”

Carter shrugged, "I'll never tell and if I do I'll tell it different the next time you ask."

Skinner turned Carter’s attention back to him,“You made me shoot Monica.”

“You thought she was the one attempting the vehicular manslaughter,” Carter explained.

Scully rose from the couch and finally spoke, “You had them close the x-files again. That’s funny. At least Kersh acknowledged to Skinner that my rantings could be true. Kersh still believes. We know it.”

“Just like with the Redux trilogy, while Scully and Skinner were having that conversation in the hallway, the Integrity next to Scully just showed like a spotlight, although bravery by Skinner is true as well given the way the day unfolded. He would sacrifice his life for us,” Mulder smiled, “and thank you for allowing me a reunion with my son.”

Just then there was a knock at the door. “Come in” they all responded in unison.”

Monica opened the door dragging CSM in all tied up, wet from the plunge and shivering, blood pouring from Mulder’s bullet holes. “I brought him back for you Scully. Finish him.”

Scully took out her gun and held it to CSM's head, “This is for raping me with science.” The bullet was a clean shot and CSM slumped to the floor. Monica handed Scully the stiletto and she pushed it deep into the back of CSM's neck to make sure there were no more chances of resurrection.

Doggett cleared the body and the evidence and returned, “the people are out there still waiting to get their hands on Carter.”

“Before I let the crowd at Carter,” Mulder stated, Doggett heading to open the door, “William, you have any last words?”

William sent his hands through his hair, “Yeah, why did Carter make me such an asshole?”

Carter shook his head as he hunched over on the chair still tied there securely.

“Wait,” Mulder said as he stood to face Scully, “While you’re all here…” he kneeled in front of Scully and took the ring box from his pocket and opened it, “Scully, will you marry me? Again?”

“Mulder, we don’t need to do this just because I’m pregnant..”

“Scully…”

Mulder shook his head and Scully smiled, “Yes, Mulder. Yes, I will marry you.”

“I think I just threw up a little in my mouth,” Carter said in disgust.

“Shut up.” everyone shouted back.

As Doggett opened the door to let the droves of people have their way with Carter, Scully’s eyes locked with Mulder's, a warm glow spreading between them. Scully reached up to meet Mulder’s lips, her hand palming the back of his head, her fingers threading though his hair as his lips massaged hers and his tongue followed. Electricity sparked through their bodies and his hands cradled her head and his thumb stroked her cheek. Not even Carter could stop it this time. Scully looked up into Mulder's eyes as they broke their kiss to catch their breath. Her voice sincere and soft as the words spilled from her lips, “I love you Mulder.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mulder and Scully are ours once again. Carter doesn't get a say with our head canon. Let the fanfic, pictures, drawings, comics, vlogs, and or dreams live on! I'm so grateful to share it all with you and have you share it all with us. Until next time, love to all!


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